The Broken Pieces
by irisrin
Summary: Loving him meant treason. Hating him meant death. But as they say, all's fair in love and war. "You're better looking than I expected. I'll give you that." Slight AU. Rated Mature. NejiTen.
1. At Their Wit's End

**a/n: This is it, guys! The first chapter of my new Fanfic, The Broken Pieces! Yes, it's rather angsty for now and no 'interaction,' shall we say, but it'll get there. :)**

And just a heads up, if you read my very first Fanfic (which I stopped writing), 'Lavenders, Kidnappings, and Lifelong Promises,' you might recognize some of the OC's. Their roles have changed along with their family relations, ages, and personalities. I'm sorry if it's slightly confusing, but I love the names.

Also, I'm using Akaruigakure and the Taiyookage once more, also from LKLP.

Just wanted to let you know.:D Enjoy!

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen FanFic

Chapter 1

Tenten looked at the columns of fire that leapt towards the sky, greedily devouring all in its path. The buildings were aflame, the air filled with dark smoke. It was hard to see where one was going but fear kept her moving.

Rain was beginning to pour but the flames continued, regardless. It was that Uchiha Sasuke's work, his Fire Style Jutsu.

Damn him.

She wiped the perspiration from her brow, shifting the weight of the child she held from one arm to the other. He was sleeping but his breaths were coming out in ragged gasps. He must have breathed in too much smoke, the poisonous gases lingering in his lungs. She would have to take him to a Medical Nin soon or he would die.

Tenten tried to peer through the obscurations, hoping to find Mika, the Medical Nin, or at least one of her own that was still alive. There was no one who still had a heartbeat. She headed towards the outskirts of their village, near the rippling brook, a destination that was ingrained into her mind from years of playing by the waters' edge as a child.

As she stumbled through what had been a house and was now a pile of smoking, charred remains, Tenten heard a noise up ahead. She ducked behind a crumpling brick wall, soothing the stirring child. She hoped he wouldn't make a sound.

Through the smoke and rain emerged a figure, wearing the Konoha ANBU attire. Tenten's eyes narrowed dangerously. The ANBU took his mask off, revealing long dark hair and a pair of expressionless eyes.

Tenten hissed. Was he so impassionate and unfeeling that he had not even a single drop of mercy for the destruction and massacre he had caused? As she gazed into his white eyes for a moment longer, Tenten realized that the answer to her question was 'yes.' This man felt no remorse or guilt at the murders he had committed and the sabotage he had created.

Another Konoha ANBU walked beside the man. "I believe we're done here," he said, taking off his mask to reveal onyx eyes and spiky black hair. Uchiha Sasuke…

"I suppose…" The white-eyed man was staring at the brick wall.

"Something wrong, Neji?" Sasuke asked.

"I could've sworn…" muttered Neji.

"No one would linger," Sasuke told his comrade. "They are long gone."

Neji tore his gaze away from where Tenten was hidden. "Pain better agree to the treaty after what we've done for them."

"He won't be able to worm his way out of it this time," Sasuke replied confidently. "We ended a civil war for him with very minor casualties to our side."

_What about my side?_ Tenten thought scathingly. _Oh, that's right. You don't give a shit._

"Let's go," Neji finally said. "Hokage-sama is waiting for us."

Sasuke sighed as he put on his ANBU mask. "You can just call him Naruto, you know."

As the two Konoha shinobi took their leave, Tenten slipped into the shadows, covering the child's ears before muttering, "Fuck you…"

"Oh, Tenten, thank goodness you've made it back," Mika said, relieved, as Tenten handed her the child. Mika was a jovial middle-aged woman, plump and caring, her graying hair tied up in a bun.

"He's breathed in too much smoke," Tenten coughed, pounding her chest.

Mika gave a wry smile. "I think it's the same with you."

"I'm fine," Tenten insisted, letting out another cough. "How is everyone doing?"

"I believe we've saved everyone we could," Mika said slowly, glancing back at the huddle of villagers who stood by the brook's edge, fear reflected in their eyes. A family was huddled around a young man who was motionless, his flesh burnt.

Dead…

"Can I have a head count?" Tenten asked, forcing herself to look away.

A young man appeared. His dark blue hair hung casually on his forehead, his golden eyes making their way through the thick smoke and relentless rain. "One hundred twenty-six, Tenten," he cut in.

"Thank you, Haru," Tenten nodded.

Suddenly, the house closest to them burst into flames and faint cries could be heard from within.

A sooty woman ran towards the house, screaming for her child. The shout was answered by more high-pitched squeals until the flames grew in height and the crying died away. Tears were pouring down the mother's face as her spouse clung to her waist, preventing her from the running back into the house.

Tenten walked over, placing a comforting hand on the mother's shoulder. "It's ok," she muttered soothingly. "It was fast. He was only crying because of fear. It was over quickly."

The woman gazed up at Tenten, as did her husband. "It was a 'she'," she whispered. "It was my daughter that died."

Tenten was silent as the woman's spouse tried to comfort her. He looked at Tenten seriously. "Tenten-chan, please do something so we won't ever have to go through this again. We're counting on you." He led his wife away, tears beginning to pool in his own eyes.

"It wasn't your fault, Tenten," a voice murmured into her ear. "We cannot change what has happened today. We can only strive for a better tomorrow."

She turned around and looked into the young, green eyes of Satoru. "That's the only thing we can do."

"So where do we go from here?" Satoru asked. The soot and smoke had settled on his silvery hair, dying the strands an unearthly gray.

"Far away, Satoru," Tenten answered flatly. "I reckon no one wants to stay."

"But where will we go?" Satoru questioned.

Tenten was silent, thinking. "To places that have not been claimed by other shinobi villages."

"Do you have a place in mind?" Satoru gazed at her.

"No." There was no point in lying. "I'll just wing it."

"You do realize that there is not one here who won't follow you?" Satoru offered.

"I was not aware," Tenten admitted.

"It is the truth." Satoru nodded. "Even though you are eighteen, younger than me by two years, I will stand by you, forever and always."

Tenten was moved by his dedication, her throat closing up with unwanted emotions. "Thank you, Satoru. That meant a lot to me."

They made their way back to Mika, who was tending to the boy. She looked up, her eyes saddened. "I'm sorry, Tenten," Mika whispered. "He had too much smoke in his lungs. There was nothing I could do."

Tenten's eyes watered. She had experienced so much death and destruction in one day. It was far more unnerving than being on the battlefield, clashing with shinobi enemy. The lives that were taken were innocent. They were not ready to go. They were not ready to leave everyone and everything they loved. They were not ready for death.

"I know you tried your hardest, Mika," Tenten said expressionlessly. "Is he dead?"

"No, but soon, he will be…" Mika answered. "Can you get his sister?"

"What of his parents?" Haru reappeared.

"Dead…from the fire…" A young girl stepped closer to the boy lying on the ground. The tears mingled with the rain. "Am I going to lose my brother too?" Her voice was shaky.

Mika hesitated before nodding. "I'm sorry, Mitsuko."

Mitsuko bent her head, her light brown curls blocking her face from view. Haru moved to comfort her.

The boy's eyes fluttered open as the rain began to stop. "M-Mitsuko?" His voice was dangerously faint.

"I-I'm here," Mitsuko cried, collapsing to the ground and taking her brother's hand.

The boy smiled innocently. "It stopped raining, Mitsuko," he whispered in his little boy voice. "Maybe the sun will even come out."

Mitsuko nodded frantically. "Please, don't leave me, Tadao," she begged.

Her little brother didn't seem to hear, his eyes slipping into glassiness. "I never liked the rain," Tadao remarked lightly. "It seems like the sky is crying…was the sky crying for me?"

Mitsuko was crying too hard to answer.

"Are you crying for me?" Tadao gazed innocently at his sister.

Wiping her eyes, she nodded.

"Can you stop, Mitsuko-onee-san? I don't like it when people cry…" Tadao's eyes began to shut.

"No!" Mitsuko shrieked. "Look! I've stopped crying! I have! Please! Don't go, Tadao!"

Tadao's lips moved minimally. "I want to go to someplace where the sun is always shining…" His voice died away and the hand Mitsuko was holding went limp.

Tenten looked sadly as the young girl began to sob uncontrollably. She remembered when Mitsuko was a strong, hard-headed girl of twelve. How quickly everything had changed. Even the strongest of the strong could be brought down to their knees when faced with death.

"He wanted to go to the Sun," Tenten whispered.

Mitsuko looked up, tears still running down her face. "What is it, Ten-chan?"

"Tadao wanted to go to the Sun," repeated Tenten. "I will grant his dying wish."

"How?" Haru looked eagerly at Tenten.

"We're going to the Land of Sun," Tenten proclaimed. "Tell everyone to get ready," she ordered. "We've got a long journey ahead of us."

As she watched the villagers begin to collect themselves enough for the migration, Tenten took one last look at the smoldering village, the flames just beginning to die away. The clouds were beginning to mill away, allowing one ray to shine on the villagers.

A good omen…

The end was also a new beginning.

They would walk away from their old, tragic, terrible end.

They would reconstruct.

They would put together the broken pieces.

They would find their new beginning.

_

* * *

__Two years later…_

Tenten brushed her brown bangs out of her face, leaning against the wall, straining her eyes. The wall encircled the whole of Akaruigakure. The gate to the Hidden Light Village was closed and she was overlooking the landscape outside of the village boundaries. Large, blooming sunflowers filled the landscape along with lush green trees and vibrant blossoms. "No word from Satoru yet?" she asked.

"None," Haru answered, also looking into the greenery that surrounded the Hidden Light Village.

"He'll be back, Taiyookage-sama," Mitsuko piped up, switching the light blue parasol she was holding from one hand to the other, making sure that the shade covered Tenten. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Tenten snapped impatiently. "It's just that Satoru told me that he'd be back in three days but he has yet to show up."

"It's not like he had any real close combat," Haru pointed out. "His mission was to just take ten shinobi and sabotage Konoha's weaponry."

"But you know how Satoru can be," sighed Tenten, wrapping her arms around herself. "If there's even one guard, he'll turn it into a massacre."

"It has been extremely helpful, Taiyookage-sama," Mitsuko said eagerly, "especially after you declared war on Konoha and the Hidden Rain Village."

Tenten was quiet. "I suppose, Mitsuko."

She turned around and headed for the stairs, descending back into the village. Mitsuko hurried after her, holding the parasol above their heads.

The majority of the Akaruigakure architecture was built from sun-dried clay and the supple flexible bark of young saplings. Apartments rose from the ground, seeming to meld from earth to home. The clay was a peculiar orange-yellow color, giving the appearance that the village was glowing.

When the refugees from the Hidden Rain Village had stumbled upon the stretch of land known as the Land of Sun, they had set to work building a great shinobi nation. They had dubbed themselves as Akaruigakure and appointed Tenten as the Taiyookage. She had refused at first and the other shinobi persuaded her, telling her that there was no one else they trusted more than Tenten. They were quickly joined by traveling nomads and Missing-Nins that had some quarrel with the other Five Shinobi Nations.

Soon, the hatred had built up and Tenten, listening to her people's desires, had declared war on Konoha and the Hidden Rain. At first, they were shocked. What did this mysterious nation have against them? But it was soon revealed that the Akaruigakure shinobi were from the Hidden Rain.

From then on, a bloody and fierce battle began, filled with sabotage, massacres, and losses to both sides. "There can be no peace," Tenten would always say, "until there is understanding. And to obtain understanding, they must suffer what we suffered." She and her people believed that their purpose of attack was justified and so they fought with reason.

The Akaruigakure shinobi had created their own Jutsu, manipulating the light and heat from the sun into a very powerful genjutsu, Hinome Ayatsuri no Jutsu. Many shinobi had adopted the Jutsu and began creating original Jutsu (Hizashi Nakami no Jutsu, Kika Fukiya no Jutsu, Fushicho Hi Hane no Jutsu) but Tenten opted to stick to her customary array of weapons.

It was apparent to Tenten that Pain and Hokage Uzumaki were at their wits' end. Every attack they threw at Akaruigakure was dodged and the retaliation was often even more brutal. She knew that they were planning something, a sinister plot, most likely one that involved cheating and cutting corners.

As Tenten walked into her Taiyookage Office, she prayed that Satoru would return safely.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" The door to the Hokage's office swung open to reveal Neji, the ANBU captain, and his teammates: Sasuke, Sakura, and Sai.

The Hokage looked up around. "I've told you to just call me 'Naruto'," he sighed.

Neji frowned but continued. "I'm here to report some grave news."

"Proceed…" Naruto nodded.

"We went to check up on our weapons supply and we found that they had been destroyed," Neji explained. "The five guards were also killed along with three shinobi who came to help." He shuddered at the memory of finding eight headless bodies drowning in a sickeningly red ocean, some missing limbs, the metallic smell filling his nostrils.

"It was the work of Akaruigakure shinobi," Sasuke added. "Their chakra was everywhere along with one of their forehead protectors. You know, the one with the setting sun…"

"This is grave indeed," Naruto leaned forward in his desk, his fingertips pressed against each other.

"Excuse me for saying so, Naruto," Sakura started, "but these shinobi are playing dirty. We can't keep attacking them with morals. We must bend the rules a bit if are to survive this war."

"That is true," Sai agreed. "They have the upper hand right now simply because they choose to not obey the rules of fair play. They sabotage. They kill unnecessarily. They have no ethics. If we are to emerge victorious, we must use strategies that fit their own."

"We're not going to win if we play clean…" Neji started.

"Very true…" muttered Sakura darkly. Sasuke glanced at her then looked away.

"It's been reported that their ruler, the Taiyookage, is none other than the Weapon's Mistress Tenten," Neji went on. "She was famous back in the Hidden Rain Village for her deadly accuracy and wide expertise on weaponry."

Naruto surveyed the ANBU squad. "Very well…" He turned to look at Neji. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Do?" Neji repeated. "We will focus on the Taiyookage. We must get rid of her."

"Are you sure we are not pushing outside of our limits? Even immorality has its boundaries," Naruto pointed out.

"Have you heard her justification?" Neji snapped.

The door opened once more and Hinata entered, carrying a folder of reports. "Actually, yes, he has," she said quietly.

"Hinata," Naruto greeted, "Come here. We were discussing how to deal with the current war."

"I see," she coughed, blushing slightly, ruffling through her stack of papers. "Well, as it says here in the official proclamation of war that she is seeking to gain understanding. She says that there will be no peace without understanding. Taiyookage Tenten intends to do to us what we did to the Hidden Rain Village."

Naruto glanced at the ANBU captain. "You are aware of what she suffered?"

Neji's face hardened. "Her side was the one causing trouble, thinking they could overthrow Pain. She brought this on herself."

"And what of the destruction you did to her village?" Naruto prompted. "You _and_ Sasuke…"

"With all due respect, Naruto, it was you who ordered us to do so," Sasuke added.

"Maybe I did…" Naruto shrugged. "But people make mistakes and have changes of heart. Just try to understand her."

"But I don't," Sai piped up. "If she went through so much terror and devastation and she truly grasps the horrors of war, why does she bring this upon others?"

"Revenge," Sakura answered, "She wants others to feel what she felt in order to feel better."

"So, what do we do about the Taiyookage?" Naruto asked once more.

"Tenten-sama is obviously the soul commander in this operation, even if there are generals or ANBU captains," Neji replied. "I say we kidnap her, bring her to Konoha, and demand ransom. The ransom would be the end of the war and the payment of all the expenses."

"Do you really thing that would work?" Sakura demanded skeptically. "If Tenten was chosen as the Taiyookage, then she must be an incredibly strong kunoichi."

"We have to try something," Neji snapped. "Or would you rather we all die because of a little girl's desire for revenge?"

"We shouldn't underestimate them," Hinata told him. "You do realize that we are talking about the Weapon's Mistress. Her name should be premonition enough."

"You don't understand, Hinata," Neji protested. "We have to do something. We have to or else we'll all end up dead. Wasn't it you who told us just yesterday that we predicted over half a million shinobi would die?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Very well. You leave tomorrow. This form of action may be extremely unethical but it's the only thing we can do now. I'll send word to Pain and you four can go kidnap the Taiyookage."

* * *

**a/n: **intense, eh? Haha! Please review and let me know what you think of it! Feedback is always, always welcome!:)

Chapter 2 will probably be out on Wednesday or Thursday!

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	2. No Less Potent

**a/n**: Hey! Chapter 2 is up! Please enjoy!

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

Chapter 2

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic

"Satoru has returned!" Mitsuko ran to the shooting range, where Tenten was perfecting her throwing accuracy. "Tenten-sama, Satoru is back!"

Tenten let the shuriken fly, the sharp blade digging into the exact center of the target. "Is he now?" she commented brightly. "I suppose I'll go see him, then." She wiped her brow and headed back to the Taiyookage Office, Mitsuko hurrying behind her, carrying the parasol. "You don't have to always shade me," Tenten remarked teasingly.

"Oh, no, Tenten-sama," Mitsuko answered brightly, "I must! What would happen if the sun damaged your skin? Then you'd never find a man to marry!"

"Who says I need to marry?" Tenten mumbled grumpily. "I might be perfectly content without one. Besides, if I ever get married than the man won't care about appearances or backgrounds. He'll love me for me."

Mitsuko nodded. "Very inspirational," she commented sincerely.

Tenten walked into her office and was greeted by the silver-haired, green-eyed Satoru. "You're back! How did the sabotaging go?"

"Very smoothly," Satoru reported with a nod.

"Then, why are you late?" Haru asked from beside the desk.

"Because we were intelligence gathering," Satoru answered.

Tenten blinked and sat down in her chair. "Really…do elaborate…"

"We overheard the Hokage conversing with some ANBU members," Satoru began, "and it revealed a grim plot."

Mitsuko gasped. "What is it?"

"They are planning to kidnap you, Taiyookage-sama," Satoru ended seriously.

Tenten was silent until she could hold it in no longer.

"This isn't a time to be laughing!" Haru exclaimed, shocked.

She continued to chuckle. "I find it rather amusing that Konoha shinobi so easily underestimate the Taiyookage of Akaruigakure! The fools…"

"As amusing as this might seem to you," Haru said flatly, "we must take in the danger. We do not know what they plan to do with you so we must be constantly on guard. I will have bodyguards appointed to you."

"Really, Haru, is that necessary?" Tenten sighed. "I know you are my right-hand man but I'm not a helpless child."

"No, you're our Taiyookage," Satoru countered, "the one who holds our village together. That is why we cannot let you be abducted. And that is also why I am offering myself as your bodyguard. You know that I would give my life for you." He held his gaze for a moment too long.

The door burst open and Mika entered, wringing her hands worriedly. "Oh, Tenten-chan," she cried, "is it true Konoha is planning to kidnap you?"

"Calm down," Tenten instructed soothingly. "You have nothing to worry. I am going nowhere."

"But Konoha shinobi are very powerful," Mitsuko piped up.

Satoru scoffed. "If they're so powerful, why are we winning the war? They can't stand a chance against our genjutsu."

Mika wasn't convinced. "Please promise me, Ten-chan," she demanded, "that you won't do anything to put yourself in danger. The people of Akaruigakure look up to you and they need you if they are to survive. You're like a daughter to me! Promise me you'll always think of yourself before you do anything!"

Tenten's eyes narrowed. "No."

"No?" Mika repeated, shocked.

"No," Tenten echoed, her eyes softening, "because I will always think of the village above anything."

* * *

Neji stood in front of the gate to Konoha, buckling his pack shut. Beside him, his teammates were impatiently fidgeting. "Would you guys relax?" he snapped, his white eyes narrowing.

Sasuke waved the tone of anger away. "Sorry, it's just that Naruto's late."

"It reminds me of the days when Kakashi was never on time," Sakura sighed, crossing her arms.

"Naruto must have something important to deal with at the moment," proposed Sai.

"What's more important than heading off on a mission that could save Konoha?" demanded Sasuke.

"Making sure that the mission actually succeeds…" Naruto appeared beside his old teammate. "You all remember Temari?" He gestured to the blonde kunoichi who was standing beside him, her hair tied into four spiked ponytails and a large fan strapped to her back. She gave them a smile.

Sakura returned it. "So, Hokage," she teased, "What's a Sand Shinobi doing in our squad? I thought the war was only Akaruigakure against the Leaf and the Rain."

"Well, me and Gaara go way back," Naruto recalled. "He offered to send his sister over to help."

Neji nodded approvingly. "Temari, you use wind-based attacks, don't you?"

"Yes," Temari answered, patting her fan.

"Very clever," Sai commented. "If the Weapons Mistress lives up to her reputation of accuracy, then it must mean that she throws her weapons."

"And Temari's wind-based attacks would enable her to prevent Tenten's attacks from reaching us," concluded Sakura.

"Although Pain did mention that she attaches chakra threads to her weapons for easy control," Sasuke pointed out.

"But that's where my Byakugan comes in," Neji answered.

"Now that we've all got it worked out," Temari said loudly, "Let's go…"

Naruto watched them set off. "Do not injure the Taiyookage," he called to their retreating backs. "Do not kill if necessary and treat Tenten-san like the brilliant kunoichi that she is."

"We will," Neji promised, "as long as she isn't too much trouble," he added under his breath.

* * *

"Satoru, I don't need a bodyguard," Tenten hissed as she strolled through the streets, observing the building of a new Library. It had been a few days already and Satoru had been trailing her like a shadow, alert and observant. At first, she was touched by the dedication but now she was just frustrated. "What kind of Taiyookage would I be if I needed someone to hold my hand and watch me at all times?"

"Forgive me for saying so, Ten-chan," Satoru started, "but I am not holding your hand."

Tenten gave a growl of frustration as she ducked under a slab of clay two shinobi were carrying. "Whatever the case, answer my question: what kind of Taiyookage would I be?"

Satoru sighed. "One that is protected because her village depends so much on her and does not wish to let her be taken away…"

"That's not good enough," Tenten murmured. "I look like a weakling when I have people watching over me."

"No one will ever think you are weak," Satoru reassured her. "They know you have deadly accuracy so they wouldn't dare."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Where is your father? I need to discuss tactics with him. Those battle plans need to be sent to the Council for approval."

Satoru shrugged. "Haven't the faintest…"

"Mitsuko!" Tenten called.

The girl rushed over, her light blue eyes glittering. "Yes, Taiyookage-sama," she curtsied.

"Could you find Ryo-san for me?" Tenten asked, heading over the mason of the construction. "Let him know I'll be here waiting for him." Mitsuko hurried away.

"I'll wait with you," Satoru offered.

Tenten frowned. "What about your students? They must've missed a lot when you were away…"

"If you are attempting to distract me from my duties," Satoru began.

"As Assistant Director of the Light Academy, your duty is to prepare the students for Graduation so they may become Genin," Tenten interrupted.

"But I have a more important task," argued Satoru, "protecting the Taiyookage!"

"The future of Akaruigakure is more important," Tenten protested. "If you do succeed in protecting me, then that would be wonderful. But when I am dead and the shinobi are insufficiently taught, the Hidden Light Village will be destroyed, just because you were looking at the small picture!" Her eyes softened. "I know you mean well, Satoru-kun, but really…I'm going to be fine."

Satoru stood there, taking in the reasoning, his young, handsome face expressionless. At last he gave a slight nod. "You're right, as always, Ten-chan," he confessed, shaking his head minimally. "But if anything happens to you, I would gladly give my life to make it right."

Tenten was moved. "That's awfully nice of you, Satoru," she told him, "but I highly doubt that anything bad will happen."

Satoru nodded, his silver bangs falling in front of his face. "I hope you're right, Ten-chan."

"Taiyookage-sama?"

Tenten turned around and flagged down the white-haired, green-eyed man who had called to her. "Ryo-san," she greeted, "I'm glad you could come!" Tenten noticed Haru, who was standing beside him. "And Haru!"

Then, three flashes dashed out from behind the venerable shinobi general and the Taiyookage's Assistant and launched themselves at Tenten, two clinging to her legs and another holding her hand. She laughed. "Who are these frightening shinobi?" Tenten teased.

"Shin, Katsuo, Akemi," Satoru said warningly, "What are you three doing?"

The auburn-haired girl pouted, tightening her hold on Tenten's hand. "Satoru-sensei," she whined, "we only wanted to say hi to Taiyookage-sama!"

"Yeah, what Akemi said," agreed the gold-haired boy, Shin, his arms wrapped around Tenten's left leg.

The little boy with black hair, Katsuo, nodded. "We weren't doing anything bad, sensei," he pointed out.

"You three have such spirit," laughed Ryo heartily. "Off you go and don't give your sensei trouble! Remember, children: he's my son!"

"Come on, Shin," shouted Akemi, "I'll race you and Katsuo to the Academy!"

Shin grinned. "You're on!"

Katsuo had a glint in his eye. "I bet I could even beat Satoru-sensei!"

"I wouldn't count on that," Satoru teased. "Here, I'll give you a head start. At the count of three…" But Satoru hadn't even said 'two' before the three Academy students raced away.

"I'll come, too," Haru offered.

"Great," Satoru agreed. "Those three are a handful." He gave a chuckle and they followed the Academy students, reminding Tenten to be careful.

"Wow," Haru sighed as they walked farther away from Tenten, "I'm surprised you're leaving Tenten alone. For the last three days you haven't let her out of your sight."

Satoru shrugged. "She persuaded me. You know how undeniably rational her logic is."

Haru nodded congenially as they turned the corner and the Academy came into view. "Tell me, Satoru, what do you think of Tenten?"

"What I think of her?" Satoru repeated. "Well, she is obviously a very accomplished and skilled kunoichi, more capable than many of her age."

"I didn't ask about her abilities," Haru teased. "I was talking about Tenten herself."

"She is very bright and light-hearted, despite the tragedies she has suffered," Satoru answered at once. "She's kind to everyone and seems to hold even the lowliest shinobi in the highest regard. She is compassionate and generous and thinks everything through before action. But in battle, she is swift and confident, her attacks organized and purposeful. She has grace and poise and speed, very admirable qualities."

Haru looked amused at Satoru's honest reply. "Yes, I agree she had many admired traits but I wanted to know what you think of her, what you consider her to be."

Satoru blushed slightly. "A leader, a comrade, and a friend…"

"I see…" Haru said slowly. "So you do not wish to be more than friends?"

Satoru hesitated. "No…I do not…"

"Ah, I see." Haru did not prod any farther, but simply kept his eyes on the Academy students in front of him.

* * *

Temari stood on the tree branch, leaning against the trunk. They had traveled nonstop for three days, eager to end the war as quickly as possible. Managing to sneak by the Akaruigakure lookouts, they were stationed right outside the walls of the Hidden Light Village. Temari squinted in the incredibly bright sunlight. Ever since they had crossed the border into the Land of Sun, the brightness had noticeably increased, providing strain on the shinobis' unaccustomed eyes.

Neji, Sakura, Sakura and Sai landed lightly beside the Sand kunoichi. Neji narrowed his white eyes in the sunlight. "Alright, we'll wait here and rest so the cover of darkness will be to our advantage," he explained. "In the Land of Sun, it is still considerably bright at night but the decrease in light will help us to see better."

"So we can sleep now?" Sakura asked, collapsing onto the tree branch. Sasuke sat down next to her, letting Sakura rest her head against his shoulder.

"Yeah," Neji answered. "But before that, we need to be clear on the plan first."

"Let's get this over with," Sai mumbled, massaging his temples.

"Sai, you will be using your Ink Clone Technique to create a distraction," Neji began. "Even if the Taiyookage is able to see through the Jutsu, you will still have diverted her attention for a satisfactory amount of time." He turned to Sasuke and Sakura, who was beginning to doze off. Sasuke shook her shoulder and her head popped up, alert and staring intently at Neji. "Sasuke will be using his Sharingan to capture any bystanders in the genjutsu, making them unable to stop us. Sakura, you will your chakra enhanced strength to attempt to knock Tenten out." Neji glanced at Temari. "Should the Taiyookage be able to escape all these attacks, which is very likely, we are depending on your Dust Wind Technique to serve as a shield from the weapons Tenten will inevitably throw at us."

Temari nodded, showing that she understood.

"Remember, Temari," Neji continued, "it's extremely important that you do not reveal yourself until our other attacks have failed. You're wind-based techniques will most likely summon any other shinobi that have not fallen prey to Sasuke's Sharingan."

"Of course," Temari agreed.

"Great, now rest," Neji commanded, jumping up to the next highest branch. "I'll take first watch. At sundown, we strike."

* * *

Tenten smiled amusedly as she watched Akemi struggle to throw the shuriken at the target. She had offered to help Satoru (who was most peculiarly shy) with the throwing lessons he taught after required classes were over. He had just finished demonstrating the lesson for that day and the children had each been assigned a target to throw at.

Shin was to the left of Akemi, his target stapled to the trunk of a large oak. His shuriken littered the base of the tree while he had two shuriken and one kunai sticking out from the outer ring of the target.

Katsuo was to the right of Akemi and he had already succeeded in throwing a kunai at the second-most inner ring of his target.

The other children were just as progressed, except for Akemi.

Akemi glanced dejectedly at her friends around her and up at Tenten, who stood beside her. "I can't do this," she muttered. "It's too hard."

"It may seem hard at first," Tenten told her gently, "but with practice and concentration, you will get it."

"That's easy for you to say," Akemi muttered, turning the throwing star over in her hands. "You're the Weapons Mistress…the kunoichi who never misses a throw."

"That may be…but I'll let you in on a secret," Tenten offered.

Shin, who had paused for breath, looked over and stuck his tongue out. "Secrets, secrets are no fun unless they're shared by everyone!" he chanted.

"Oh, be quiet," Tenten ordered, mock-sternly. "Continue with your throwing practicing or else I'll personally make sure that you spend an extra ten years in the Academy!"

Shin gave a gasp while Katsuo laughed.

Akemi gave a giggle. "What was the secret, Taiyookage-sama?" she asked eagerly.

"When I was your age, I would miss the target completely," Tenten admitted.

"You're lying," Akemi assumed.

Tenten shook her head. "No, I'm telling the truth! Whenever I threw a shuriken, it wouldn't even graze the target!"

"That's impossible," Akemi protested. "Your accuracy is perfect!"

"But it wasn't always that way…" Tenten paused for effect. "Do you know why?"

"Practice," Akemi muttered under her breath.

Tenten smiled. "Exactly! Now, let me help you." She stood behind Akemi, holding her wrist. "When you throw, you need to flick your wrist slightly and push on one of the spikes so it makes the shuriken spin. It will only fly straight if it spins. You have to extend your arm and lean forward slightly to ensure an accurate throw."

Akemi looked determined. "Ok, I think I get it."

Tenten watched as Akemi posed, the shuriken glinting the setting sun. Her arm swung in the shape of an arc and the throwing star flew straight and true, imbedding itself in the target, just one ring away from the bulls-eye.

"I did it!" Akemi shrieked. Shin, Katsuo and her fellow classmates looked at her. She embraced Tenten. "Did you see that, Tenten-san? Did you? Did you? Ah! Taiyookage-sama, you're amazing! I want to be just like you when I grow up! Strong and smart and nice and a great kunoichi…and pretty, too! Maybe even prettier," Akemi added cheekily.

Tenten laughed, enjoying Akemi's incessant chatter. She reminded the Taiyookage of her own childhood. The Babbling Buns, they called her. The name was extremely accurate.

Suddenly, Satoru appeared at her side. "Do…you feel that?" he muttered into Tenten's ear.

She looked around and was shocked to feel unusual chakra crackle through the air. And she recognized it. Two years hadn't made the memory any less potent. "Konoha shinobi…" Tenten muttered. "They're chakra is easily identified."

Satoru, a gifted swordsman that could rival the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, pulled out a sharp and lethal-looking katana. "I told you something would happen. They're here to kidnap you."

"The children…" Tenten whispered, glancing back at the Academy students. They had ceased their throwing and were glancing at the two grown-ups and muttering among themselves, confusion apparent on their features. Tenten turned to Satoru. "You have to take the children away. Now." She noticed how his green eyes turned indignant. "Remember what I said about the future of Akaruigakure? It rests in your hands now."

He gave her a lingering look before reluctantly sheathing his weapon and heading over to the children, herding them into lines and leading them out the door. Tenten watched them go and took out two scrolls, prepared to meet the Konoha shinobi.

* * *

**a/n: **Ok, so they're was some interaction and mushy moments between Tenten and an OC but it's thrown in there for jealousy! XD

Alright, I tried to make Tenten's relationship with Akemi be kind of like Tenten's and Tsunade's (How Tenten wants to be a 'great kunoichi like Tsunade'). Yeah, let me know how that turned out! :)

There's going to be a fight scene coming up next chapter! I would have preferred to avoid it as I'm not very experienced with writing about fights but to avoid it kind of kills the story!

And Neji and Tenten meet in the next chapter, too! *squeal*

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	3. Better Than Expected

**a/n:** Sorry about the long wait! But anyway, here it is! Chapter 3!

And Neji and Tenten meet in this one! *wiggles eyebrows*

Enjoy!

**disclaimer: **i do not own Naruto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 3

Sai was crouching on the branch directly above the Taiyookage. Neji stood beside Temari on the branch higher. Sasuke was hidden behind the base of a large oak. Sakura kneeled behind a large boulder.

A kunai appeared in Tenten's hand. "I know you're there," she shouted, her voice echoing around the now-empty training area. "Come out and fight like real shinobi!"

Sai glanced up at Neji. Neji nodded, signaling him to start. Sai pulled out his scroll and dipped his brush in ink, making strokes and lines on the paper so quickly that it was all a blur.

Five Sai's quickly surrounded Tenten, each sporting a scroll and an ink brush. Tenten glanced at them as they began to paint on the scrolls. In one fluid, graceful movement, she shot a kunai at each of them; the Sai's disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Chidori Sharp Spear!" Sasuke flashed out from behind the tree, running at Tenten, the blade crackling with electricity.

Her head whipped around and she launched herself into the sky, releasing three shuriken. One hit the blade and fell to the ground, sparkling with electricity. The other Sasuke dodged just in time but the third landed on his shoulder, implanting itself deep within his flesh.

"Damn," he hissed.

Sakura jumped to his side, preparing a medical Jutsu.

Tenten advanced, a hand on her hip, the other juggling three kunai one-handedly. She scoffed. "Is this the best Konoha ANBU can do?" Tenten shook her head. "Ridiculous…you three are so weak."

"Chōjū Giga no Jutsu," Sai chanted, dipping his brush in the ink. Five painted lions emerged from the scroll, growling and taking swipes at Tenten.

She looked surprised for a moment before narrowing her eyes, pulling out her own scroll. Two large Chain Wind Staffs appeared in each hand. With alarming precision, she threw them at two lions, which disappeared once the blade cut through them. The staffs did a boomerang and Tenten caught them, twirling the weapons. The remaining three lions charged at her, their fangs bared. Tenten began to spin quickly, the Chain Wind Staffs whipping around her. As each lion was hit, they vanished.

When all the lions were gone, Tenten stopped, the staffs halting to a stop by her side. She looked incredibly calm; she hadn't even broken a sweat. She smirked. "That was pitiful."

Sakura finished her medical Jutsu and stood up, wiping her hand on her forehead. "We're just getting started," she growled, clenching her fists. They began to glow with Sakura's extremely well-controlled chakra.

"Bring it, bitch," Tenten taunted, her previous weapons replaced by kusarigamas (the Japanese version of a sickle attached to a chain).

"Sasuke," Sakura hissed out of the corner of her mouth, never taking her eyes off of Tenten, "you might want to try your Sharingan."

Tenten watched as Sasuke nodded, his black eyes changing into a blood red. _A Sharingan user, eh?_ she thought to herself. _He will be fairly easy to avoid. If I don't look into his eyes, I won't be caught by his genjutsu._

Sakura, Sasuke and Sai closed in on Tenten, each of them positioned in an angle of a triangle. Tenten pivoted, keeping an eye on each enemy but looking at Sasuke's feet instead of his face. Sai whipped out another scroll, summoning a pair of sketchy snakes. They slithered towards Tenten, who was looking at Sakura and had her back angled slightly.

As Sakura charged at Tenten, her fists glowing with chakra, the snakes slithered up Tenten's legs, binding her in place. "Well, I suppose you think I'm fucked up," Tenten guessed with unnerving calm, "but I just thought I'd let you know…I'm far from it."

She quickly unrolled another scroll with lightning speed and a smoke bomb appeared in her hand. As the snakes were beginning to constrict her hands, Tenten threw it skyward. A hissing sound filled the air and the smoke bomb plummeted to the earth, filling the area with thick smoke.

Neji, who was perched in a branch far above the smoke, coughed slightly. "Damn it," he cursed. "Even my Byakugan can't detect Tenten's chakra."

Temari sighed. "So what do we do?"

"We can't let Tenten get away," Neji muttered. "You'd better use your fan."

"Right…" Temari unfolded the fan to reveal the first purple star. With a powerful swoosh, she brought the fan down and the smoke began to disappear.

It revealed Tenten, who was now fully bound by the snakes. There was a scratch on her cheek that produced a trickle of blood. Her neat buns had fallen loose, the hair in now two messy pigtails. She struggled but as everyone knew, Sai's snakes were hard to break.

Satisfied, Neji landed on the ground with a plop, Temari following him. He smirked. "You shouldn't have been too cocky, Tenten-sama," he taunted, using the suffix mockingly.

"Jackass," hissed Tenten. "What do you want with me?"

Neji's perfect eyebrows arched in surprise. "Want? We're going to demand a ransom for you."

"And the ransom would be?" Tenten's chocolate eyes narrowed.

"The end of the war," Neji answered immediately. "We'll be trading your life for our peace."

"How droll of you," yawned Tenten, looking remarkably bored. "Don't you Konoha shinobi have any morals? Any ethics?"

"I suppose irony rules today," Sasuke snapped. "Imagine, the one with nonexistent morals preaching us about being inhumane."

"It is rather amusing," Tenten agreed congenially. "I suppose you five are so pleased with yourselves for catching the infamous Taiyookage."

"We expected no worse," Sai retorted.

"We are, after all, shinobi of the Leaf," added Sakura.

"I suppose that would be considered a highly valued thing," Tenten started pleasantly, "if you enjoy ruining a whole village and murdering hundreds of people."

Temari scowled, stepping nearer to the bound Taiyookage. "You have no right to scold us. You're just as bad."

Neji held out a hand to stop the approaching blond kunoichi. "Calm down, Temari," he ordered. "Remember what Naruto said. We must treat her like the venerable kunoichi she is. Don't forget that she is the Taiyookage."

Tenten's ears perked. "Oh, did you say Naruto? Funny, two years ago, I remember seeing you talking to that jackass over there," she jerked her head towards Sasuke. "You ought to recall…and you mentioned a Naruto. Apparently, he ordered you to destroy my village! And now he's ordered you to take me to him! Well, let me tell you, I won't go so easily!"

"We'll drag you to him if we have to," hissed Sakura.

"Now, now," Tenten simpered, "what happened to treating me like the 'venerable kunoichi' I am? Where'd the irony go? Do you want another example of irony?"

"Delight us," Neji replied, bored.

Tenten smirked. "Someone attack me."

Sakura glanced at Neji. "Is she serious?"

"You!" Tenten glared at Sakura. "Yeah, the one with pink hair…you think you're hot shit, don't you? Come at me then and we'll see how irony takes your life for a ride."

"Naruto said to treat her like an honored guest," Sasuke reminded her.

"So you tie all of your guests up with snakes?" Tenten threw a piercing glared at Sai who returned it with a particularly irritating smile. "Anyway, relax…that dumbass of a kunoichi won't be able to harm your precious little prisoner." She glanced at Sakura, who was livid. "Come on! Hit me! I'm not going anywhere!"

"Sakura…" Sasuke said warningly.

"No, she's right," Sakura hissed. "She's bound by Sai's snakes. She can't move."

"That's right," Tenten nodded. "Get angry at me. Hit me and taste the irony."

Sakura clenched and unclenched her fist, the chakra slowly building up. She sprinted a few steps and pushed off of the ground, her right fist aimed right at Tenten's face. As her fist made contact, Tenten disappeared and Sakura tumbled on the ground.

"A shadow clone!" Sai concluded.

"That means she either left of is still here," Sasuke added.

"How will we know?" Temari asked.

"Oh, trust me," Neji began, "she's still here." Even with the success of the mission in jeopardy, he could not help but feel slightly impressed at the kunoichi's quick thinking and impeccable moves. She was swift and agile, her accuracy just as respectable as the rumors said. The Taiyookage was lithe and strong, able to fight with a cool and collected look on her face. She showed no sign of frustration or fear even when faced with five opponents. Yes, Neji could definitely see why Tenten was chosen as the Taiyookage.

At that moment, ten kunai flew out from various angles. Temari quickly took a swipe with her fan, reversing the direction of the weapons. Nine kunai backtracked and hit their thrower, each shadow clone disappearing with a puff a smoke. The tenth kunai bounced off of the real Tenten, who was concealed behind a brush of leaves, and clattered to the ground below.

She stood up, evenly brushing a few twigs off of her clothes. In a blur, Tenten did a somersault and landed in front of Temari. "Your fan will give me trouble," Tenten teased, "so I'd better get rid of you first!"

Temari scowled, opening the fan more to reveal the second star. "Don't count on it! Wind Release: Great Task of the Dragon!" She swung her fan and the wind circled into a cyclone that headed for Tenten.

Gritting her teeth, Tenten began throwing shuriken at the swiftly approaching attack, quickly realizing that the cyclone absorbed the throwing stars, making it even more lethal. She did a back flip and landed on a branch, squinting her eyes at the Sand kunoichi. To stop the Jutsu, she'd have to take down the user. "Get ready," Tenten muttered, pulling out two boomerangs, their edges sharpened to a deadly point and coated in poison.

She hurled them into the air, skillfully spinning them one last time as they headed for Temari. Almost lazily, Temari fanned her weapon at the boomerangs. Tenten pulled on the chakra threads, the boomerangs just out of reach of the wind, and redirected them, setting them on a new course.

Tenten leaped into another tree as Temari's tornado tore down the one she was previously in. Its path was slow – it could easily be outrun – but the cyclone showed no signs of slowing down and Tenten didn't want to take her chances. Even if she was able to run, there was a definite possibility that the Jutsu would follow her.

And besides, kunoichi don't run.

They stay and fight…and win.

Tenten pulled one boomerang to the left, the sharp poison-covered tip slashing through Sasuke's arm as he ran to help Temari. He winced and Sakura ran towards him.

Grinning slightly, Tenten aimed the boomerang at Temari once more, angling it so the weapon would take an unpredictable course of action. As Temari quickly glanced at her fallen teammate, Tenten took advantage of the distraction. Only at the last moment did the Sand kunoichi realize her fatal mistake and dodged out of the way but resulted in a faint scratch on her cheek.

"A kunoichi must always stay focused," Tenten scolded. "If she isn't, it may cost her her life."

Temari's face contorted with rage. "Shut up," she hissed.

Tenten's eyes darted at the whirlwind, which was steadily growing closer. She jumped off of the branch and landed on the one that Neji already occupied. Juggling five sharp shuriken in one hand, the boomerangs disappearing, Tenten smirked at the ANBU captain. "Oh, what fine shinobi the Leaf has…" she derided.

Neji did not answer. He only looked at her, his white eyes locked with her chocolate ones.

Tenten pouted. "Are you so ashamed that you won't even admit that you five aren't worth being called shinobi?"

Still, Neji was silent.

Tenten stopped juggling the shuriken and caught them all in one hand, the throwing stars neatly stacked between her fingers. Despite of himself, Neji was impressed. "You aren't even attacking together! You fight singly, as if this were one-on-one or something!" Her eyes narrowed. "I mean, really, one shinobi is able to attack all five of you? And not to mention she's a girl! Come on, you Konoha sexist pig, aren't you embarrassed that a _girl_ is better than the five of you put together?"

"Is that what you think?" Neji asked. "That all men are sexist?"

"Not all," Tenten retorted, "But you look completely horrified that I am beating you so easily! It's actually an accurate assumption from my point of view."

"The look on my face is not one of horror," Neji replied flatly.

Suddenly, Tenten threw the shuriken at the ANBU captain. Four he caught in one hand but the other grazed his shoulder. He did not flinch. "You might just be able to beat me. You're better than I expected. I'll give you that."

Sakura appeared behind Tenten, who had a surprised look on her face. Her fists glowing, she punched Tenten in the gut. The Taiyookage crumpled and fell into Sai's arms and Sasuke walked over, injecting clear liquid in Tenten's arm. "She should be unconscious until we're at least twenty miles away…maybe for four hours…" he told the group.

Temari and Sakura joined Sasuke and Sai. They looked up at their captain, who jumped down and landed silently beside Sai. "Here, give her to me," he ordered, holding his hands out. "I'll carry her."

Sai handed her over and Neji positioned the unconscious Tenten in his arms. She was surprisingly light. He looked down on her as he gave the signal to his teammates to move out. "And want to know something else?" Neji muttered as he followed, looking down at the kunoichi's peaceful face. "You're better looking than I expected. I'll give you that."

* * *

"Tenten-chan?"

Satoru strode back into the courtyard, his katana drawn once more. "Are you there? I've sent the children home and came back as fast as I could," he explained as if someone was actually listening. "You've taken care of the Leaf shinobi, haven't you?"

He looked around, noticing the tell-tale signs of a battle: numerous broken branches scattering the ground; the dirt ripped up from the ground, leaving large gauges in the earth; littered shuriken and kunai that were most obviously Tenten's.

He was still for a moment, not believing his eyes. Then, with a cry of rage, Satoru slashed at a nearby tree with his incredibly sharp blade, slicing the trunk into two with one swipe. He stood there, panting, his silver hair falling in front of his face and shielding his eyes.

She was gone.

Taken away from him…

By Leaf shinobi…

"Damn them," Satoru muttered, bringing the katana against the ground.

The truth was staring him in the face. But why was it so fucking hard to grasp it? He tried to reach out, to catch it, but it would flit away, teasing and taunting him. Why did it keep flying away? Why wouldn't it let itself be captured?

Because Satoru hoped.

He hoped that Tenten had won and simply left the scene without telling him. He hoped that she had beaten her antagonists easily, sending them home in a defeat. He hoped that she was in her office or in her home, planning her next formation of attack. And he hoped, more than anything, that she was still in Akaruigakure.

That she was still with him.

Like she'd always been…

_The little boy with silver hair expertly cut through the air with his dagger, performing complicated tricks and patterns, all of which he did perfectly. He stopped to catch his breath. The other students had already left, clearly lacking the dedication (and skill) that Satoru possessed. He could see his father watching him from the window, nodding approvingly. That was all he wanted. He wanted his father to acknowledge him for great and wonderful things, things that put him above everyone else._

_He twirled the dagger in one hand, creating a spherical, metallic blur. With amazing ease, Satoru threw the rotating weapon into the air and caught it with the other hand, the blade pressed between two fingers. He heard a gasp and whirled around, his dagger ready._

_"Who's there?" he called._

_There was a giggle from behind the bush and a little girl rolled out from under it, leaves sticking out from her pair of buns. Her eyes were large and innocent, the color of milk chocolate. Her skin was silky, her complexion like a porcelain doll. She was dressed in a blue Oriental wrap dress, a ribbon tied around one of her buns. She stood up, grinning toothily. "It's just me, silly!"_

_Satoru was taken aback. "Who are you?"_

_"Tenten," the girl laughed, taking a step closer. She held her hands behind her back, leaning up and looking at Satoru. "Will you teach me how to do that?"_

_"Uh…" Satoru blinked. "No, you're just a girl."_

_Tenten hit him so quickly that he didn't even see it coming. "Don't you dare," she warned, all sweetness and lovability gone. "So what if I'm a girl? Doesn't make me any less good…" Her eyes narrowed._

_"Fine, I'll teach you…" Satoru sighed._

_And so he did and Tenten caught on quickly, her abilities soaring far above her teacher's. Satoru knew she was better than him (she really did have a niche for weapons) and that his father spent hours training the kunoichi. But it didn't bother him. His father could ignore him sometimes, as long as he paid attention to Tenten. If it had been anyone else, Satoru would have been extremely cross. But Tenten deserved Ryo-sama's attention more than he did._

_When her parents were murdered in one of Pain's frequent and bloody attacks, Ryo-sama took Tenten in as part of the family, giving her a loving home. Ryo-sama became like her father while Satoru was like her brother, training partner and best friend rolled into one. For the next few months, Tenten would fake a smile around everyone. But at night, she would cry and only Satoru was there to comfort her and whisper reassuring words in her ear._

_He watched her rise in her rank among the rebel group until she was almost leading the whole revolution. She had transformed from a cute shy little girl to the confident, beautiful, graceful and deadly kunoichi Satoru always knew she would become._

_As her workload increased, he saw less and less of her. She would always apologize for her absences in her sincere, genuine way and Satoru would forgive her, even though he wasn't even mad in the first place. That was the one thing about Tenten: you _had_ to love her._

Satoru lifted his head, his eyes blazing and his mind made up.

He would rescue Tenten and bring her back.

Even if he died trying…

* * *

**a/n:** I hope the last part kind of gave you a hint for 'what's to come.' Haha but if you didn't get it, then I suppose you'll just have to wait until the next chapter!

And I apologize if my updates are taking longer than usual. It's getting a bit hard to juggle writing two stories, along with tests, homework, and the upcoming horse show! So, it might take three, even four days to put up a new chapter! But I promise, I won't stop (I'm too obsessed) and I'll definitely make it worth your while!

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	4. A Darker Him

**a/n:** Hey,, guys! Wow, it has been so long since my last update! I'm so sorry, guys! D:

Anyway, enjoy! :D

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 4

Sakura glanced back at Sasuke, who was falling behind. His breath was labored, perspiration covering his forehead. She frowned. He had been injected with Tenten's poison, no doubt, but he had insisted that he was fine, that he did not show any signs of poisoning. But obviously, it took a while for the poison to take effect.

He was too proud to ask for a break. It would damage his 'Uchiha Pride.' But Sakura knew him better than anyone else, except for maybe Naruto. But Naruto was not here at the moment. It was only her.

"I need a break," Sakura announced, stopping to lean against a tree branch. Her teammates landed beside her.

She glanced at the unconscious Tenten in Neji's arms. She pitied her even if she had been a total bitch before. It wasn't her fault. She was just projecting toughness to hide her fears, something anyone would do under such dangerous situations. It was an admirable quality to be such a good actress when fear was churning inside you. Her true fears would emerge soon and Sakura really pitied her then. The Taiyookage seemed like a proud kunoichi.

"Something wrong, Sakura?" Temari asked, looking slightly worried.

"I'm just tired," Sakura answered evenly.

"Who wouldn't be? We have been traveling for over three hours," Sai pointed out.

Sakura looked at Sasuke, who was lifting one corner of his mouth in a sort of gracious gesture. She was amused at his attempt.

Neji placed Tenten gently on the tree branch, making sure she didn't hit her head. "I suppose we could stop for a while. The Light ninja won't be catching up to us anytime soon. And we might as well spend the night here." He turned to look at Sasuke. "We should probably check that injury of yours, too."

Sakura kneeled beside him and began to take off his shirt in order to see the wound better. "How do you feel?" she asked. "Anything uncomfortable?"

"Just a bit overheated and a slight headache," Sasuke answered through gritted teeth, obviously lying. As Sakura reached over him to grab her pack, he whispered in her ear. "Thanks, by the way." His breath tickled her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Blushing, Sakura fumbled with the bag strap and Sasuke grinned in a satisfied sort of way.

Neji looked down at the unconscious kunoichi at his side. She looked a mess, all grace gone. It might have been the fact that he had unceremoniously dropped her a few times and let her limbs whip into the branches. Every time that happened, Sakura would throw him a look and he would only shrug. Getting slightly dirty was a small price to pay. Yes, Tenten was respectable but that didn't mean Neji had to respect her.

He knew she had been extremely rude before but he couldn't blame her. She was probably much kinder to those she knew and liked. Her people, definitely; the children; her friends; her lover. Neji wondered if she had one. _She must,_ Neji thought. _She's rather pleasant-looking._

"Neji," Temari called, breaking his thoughts, "I don't think things are going very well.

Sasuke had rolled onto his back, his shirt stripped away to reveal a noticeable layer of sweat on his chest. He was panting, each breath ragged and gasping. His face was flushed an unhealthy gray, the rest of his body tinged with the same hue.

"Nothing I'm doing is working," Sakura fretted, sorting through a liable amount of antidotes. "I've never seen such poison before. Even my Delicate Illness Extraction Technique isn't working!"

"Only Tenten knows the antidote," Sai interjected. "Is there any way we can wake her up?"

Neji shook his head. "The sleep medicine must run its course."

"Sasuke could die any minute!" Temari protested.

"There's nothing we can do except wait for Tenten to wake up," Neji snapped. "Nothing you say or do is going to help."

So the four ANBU settled around the Taiyookage, waiting for her awakening. Sakura frequently went over to check up on Sasuke but even without any verbal communication, it was painfully clear that his condition had worsened considerably.

About an hour later, Tenten's eyes opened and Sai immediately restrained her with his snakes. She did not struggle, only looked up and past them at the stars and the faint glow at night that the Land of Sun was known for. "Oh, so you did succeed in capturing me," she said flatly. "And it only took five of you to do so."

"Look, your poison has found its way inside one of our teammates," Sakura started desperately.

"Yes, I do remember using some poison," Tenten interrupted. "Mmhmm, one of my most lethal…"

Neji frowned. "He's going to die."

"Yeah, that normally happens to people who've been poisoned," Tenten taunted. "Congratulations, you get a gold star for figuring that out."

He gritted his teeth. This kunoichi was aggravating. "He's going to die and we can't let that happen. You must give us the antidote."

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "I _must_, eh? Well, I'm not apt to give it to you, considering the fact that you've got me bound and captured. So, no, I won't give you the antidote. Let him die. That's what you get for messing with Akaruigakure shinobi."

Temari raised a hand to slap the kunoichi but Sai stopped her. Neji let him speak. "What would you gain by letting one of ANBU members die?" Sai asked. Neji could practically see the gears turning in his teammate's head, trying to find an opening to twist Tenten's words into in escapable and persuasive logic.

"Revenge, justice, understanding," Tenten listed, "all the reasons this war is happening."

"Those really aren't worth a life," Sai said calmly. "They can be gained when people are living."

"No, they can't," Tenten contradicted. "You might think you can grasp the ugly concept but it becomes certain only when death is mingled with it."

"So then what if we kill you once Sasuke dies?" Sai suggested. "That would lead to our understanding, if I'm following your logic correctly."

"Don't threaten me," Tenten snapped. "I'm not afraid of death."

"Maybe not," agreed Sai, "but I'm sure that there are many people who _do_ fear your death. Family?"

"I have none, thanks to those two," Tenten hissed, jerking her head towards Neji and Sasuke.

"Your people?"

Tenten was silent. Sai took the initiative.

"You must have friends or innocent students or a lover who depends on you," Sai said firmly. "Think about it: if you die, what is to become of them?"

She turned her head away and took a deep breath.

"You might not care if you die, but they sure as hell will," Sai went. "If you don't want them to suffer, you should give us the antidote."

"There is none," Tenten admitted, ignoring a furious cry from Temari. "The only way to get rid of it is to use an Akaruigakure Jutsu."

"Do you know how to?" Neji interrupted.

She glared at him. "Yes, but I'm tied up."

"Release her, Sai," Neji ordered, looking at him.

"No!" Temari snapped. "Are you serious? She'll just escape and leave Sasuke to die. We can't let that happen."

"Relax, Temari," Sai instructed evenly. "I don't think Tenten-sama is going anywhere." He released the Jutsu and Tenten sprang up, stretching.

"I think you're my favorite," Tenten told Sai flatly.

"Please, just heal Sasuke," Sakura reminded.

Tenten glanced at the pink-haired Medicine kunoichi. It was so obvious she cared deeply about that Uchiha but she kept it to herself. She was so foolish. In a world filled with death, especially during this era, you had to make the most of the time that you had because you did not know when your time would run out. But it wasn't Tenten's problem in the slightest. No, these were enemy shinobi.

She sighed and leaped down one branch, crouching beside Sasuke. Neji landed beside Tenten but she pointedly ignored him, bristling with hostility. "I'm not sure if I can do this perfectly," Tenten warned. "I haven't used this Jutsu in a few months since our Medicine Nin, Mika, taught me."

"Do the Jutsu," Neji ordered.

Tenten glared, hating the authoritative manner he spoke in. "Don't tell me what to do. You're not in charge."

"I am the ANBU captain, though." He smirked.

"And a complete jackass," Tenten added under her breath as she began to collect chakra in the palms of her hands. They began to glisten a shockingly dazzling shade of yellow. "Sanshain Gedokuzai," she muttered under her breath, passing her hands over Sasuke's wound.

Slowly but surely, a trickle of purple poison oozed out of the cut, hanging in midair and maintaining a spherical composition, twirling and rotating between Tenten's palms.

The relief was apparent. The creases in Sasuke's face vanished, leaving a peaceful serenity. His muscles loosened, dropping the tension they recently possessed. The gray coloring was retreating, replaced by a healthy pink flush. Sasuke was no longer hot to the touch and was breathing evenly.

Tenten snapped and the poison disappeared, probably back to the tip of her boomerang. "There, I did it."

"That must have taken a vast amount of chakra control," Sakura observed, awestruck, "even more than my Delicate Illness Extraction Technique."

Sasuke opened his eyes, fluttering his eyelids. He sat up slowly, surprised to see that Tenten was unbound. "You should be tied up," he told her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Konoha shinobi aren't very gracious."

"And Akarui shinobi speak in riddles," Sasuke countered.

"She just saved your life," Sai said quietly.

"I'm sure it wasn't out of the goodness of her heart," the Uchiha muttered darkly.

"You're right about that," Tenten agreed. "It was forced."

"Blackmail," Neji added. The smirk widened.

"Thank you," Sakura breathed graciously, throwing her arms around Sasuke's neck but directing her words to the Taiyookage. She was glad to know that the kunoichi wasn't as merciless and cold-blooded as she appeared to be. In fact, she had compassion, even for her abductors.

"Then, I suppose you owe me one," Tenten pointed out. "I say you release me."

"You can't make conditions after something's done," Neji scolded. "If you wanted a trade-off, you had to have mentioned it before."

Tenten didn't answer but merely crossed her arms and scowled.

"We should tie her up again," Temari reminded them.

"I think there's no point," Sakura contradicted with a shrug. "If she wanted to get away, she would have once Sai released her."

"Well, I disagree, Sakura," Neji said, deliberately ignoring Tenten's irate expression. "Sai, tie her up."

"Neji," Sasuke reprimanded, "Naruto did say we had to treat her like a guest."

"But she's our prisoner so we're going to have to have a compromise," Temari answered steely. "I suggest we bound her but don't knock her unconscious."

"Don't I have a say in this?" Tenten snapped viciously.

"No." Neji grinned at her furiousness.

"Neji, I don't think we need to tie her up," Sakura said.

"I agree," Sai added. "We'll simply surround her so she can't escape."

"Have you all gone soft?" Neji sneered. "Tenten is a Taiyookage who declared war on us. We can _not_ underestimate her."

* * *

Satoru paused on the branch to catch his breath. The Midnight Sun was reaching its peak in the nighttime sky, dimming his surroundings to a faint blur. The uniform noises of the wilderness reached his ears – the chirping of birds, the rustle of leaves, the whoosh of wind – but there was no sound of enemy shinobi.

He knew that his decision to pursue Tenten and her captors was impulsive; he really should have consulted the elders before setting off on such a wild goose chase. But he knew that that would take time and time was something he was lacking at the moment. The more time Satoru waited, the farther Tenten would have been taken and the harder it would have been to track her down.

But there was a nagging feeling in his stomach that he was close by, closer than he was consciously aware of. Though Satoru did not know how many enemy he would be facing, he knew that they would not give Tenten up without a fight. _They must be skilled shinobi, _Satoru thought, _to have taken Tenten by force. I cannot let my guard down._

No matter how hard he anticipated the fight would be, Satoru knew that he would give his last breath to save Tenten. There was an unspoken agreement between him and himself: Tenten above everything. The fear did not unsettle him nor did the dangers unnerve him. He was set on rescuing Tenten even if it would cost him his life.

Satoru couldn't understand why he was risking his own well-being for Tenten but he rationalized that it was because she was the Taiyookage. He owed her for saving the people. She was like a sister to him as well as his 'student.' But also, there was a tug at his heart and a smile would split open every time he saw her. That might have been the reason but he couldn't be sure.

Whatever the reason, he was desperate, not to mention furious. The Konoha shinobi had serious nerve for taking his Taiyookage. They had already damaged so much in his life and suddenly, another piece was snapped off of the reflection of who he was before.

Anger and hatred as cracked the mirror that was his old self: peaceful, happy, cheerful and thinking that nothing could go amiss. As death and pain lingered around him like a vulture to a corpse, the mirror shattered, the pieces tinkling to the floor as it revealed a darker Satoru. And as each old fragment fell, a new fragment would emerge.

But this had been the last piece.

A darker Satoru had surfaced.

And it was overtaking the old Satoru.

…telling him to fight

Fight for Tenten…

* * *

Akemi trundled through the streets, Katsuo and Shin trailing behind her. She glanced back at her two friends questioningly. "What do you think was happening at the Training Grounds?"

"What, why Tenten-san told us to leave?" Shin asked, brushing his golden hair out of his face.

Akemi nodded vigorously.

"Well, we're going back, aren't we?" Katsuo pointed out. "We're gonna find out."

"They did say something about 'enemy shinobi', you know," Shin said in a stage-whisper.

"Oh! I wish I could have stayed," sighed Akemi. "I wanted to see Tenten-san fight! A great kunoichi like her is bound to have great fighting Jutsu!"

"But I think Satoru-sama is would have been better!" Shin contradicted. "He's older and he's a guy!"

Akemi narrowed her eyes dangerously and kicked a stone at Shin's leg. "Just because Satoru's a guy doesn't mean he's better!"

"Yes it does," Shin protested calmly, staring straight ahead glinting eyes. "I got a higher score than you on the quiz last week."

"That doesn't prove anything!" Akemi shrieked.

Katsuo yawned, blinking lazily at his two friends from behind his black bangs. "Guys, if you've fought about this once, then you've fought about it a million times before. So, just drop it, ok? Before any blood spills…" he added under his breath.

Akemi nodded vigorously as Shin rolled his eyes. Katsuo was the peacemaker between the two, who often sparked anger in each other for countless, various – and often pointless – reasons.

Satoru had dropped the three of them off at their houses last, disregarding their quizzical questions. He had been grim and oddly silent, his movements rushed and jerky, as if trying vainly to keep himself from running back. As Akemi, Shin and Katsuo were dropped off at their own separate houses, there was an unspoken agreement between the three. They waited a few hours before crawling out of their windows and meeting at an intersecting block. They were now on their way to investigate the Training Grounds, their paths illuminated slightly by the Midnight Sun that hovered among pinprick stars.

Shin pushed open the door and didn't hold it for Akemi, which caused her to scold him for a good three minutes before Katsuo shoved past the bickering two. He surveyed the Training Grounds with a keen eye, taking note of the littered weapons, splatters of blood, and traces of unfamiliar chakra. Katsuo held up a hand, halting Shin and Akemi as their voices grew louder.

"Guys, something terribly wrong has happened here," he muttered.

* * *

Tenten's dignity had been abashed by the ANBU captain's and the Sand kunoichi's decision that she should be tied up and carried like a baby. She pointedly ignored the two, but that was hard to do as Neji was the one who held her and Temari was streaking along beside them.

If it was any comfort to her, Sai, Sasuke, and Sakura constantly shot her understanding glances. But she didn't need nor want their sympathy. They really were soft if they were feeling sympathetic for the enemy.

As they neared a stream that sparkled beneath the Midnight Sun, Tenten felt familiar chakra crackle through the air. It was chakra that she had grown up with, practiced with.

_Satoru's…_

He was close by, probably intent on rescuing her.

She knew that it would be terrible for her ego if she had to resort to having people rescue her, especially when three of her enemies were sympathetic and one of them had been injected with her poison. Satoru knew her well enough to avoid rubbing it in her face but if she were to confront her people, she wouldn't be able to look them in the eye.

"Untie me," Tenten ordered suddenly.

Neji didn't look at her. "Why?"

"I have an itch on my nose," Tenten complained truthfully.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, well. Surely a hardened kunoichi like you can take a nose-itch, hn?"

Tenten scowled; the ANBU captain was strangely familiar with how to push her buttons. As she opened her mouth to reply sharply, a katana flashed through the air, the metallic silver rays blinding the Leaf shinobi's eyes, and buried itself deep into Sai's left arm.

* * *

**a/n:** So...that was Chapter 4! Yes, you can see some SasuSaku unravelling here! :D

Originally, I had Akemi, Shin, and Katsuo way younger but then the plot kind of changed and I needed them to be older so I'll have them become Genin soon!

And I was debating whether to have Sasuke or Neji be injured but it wouldn't have worked if Neji was injured. Haha so I'm sorry, Sasuke! You survived in the end, didnt you? XD

Oh and if you were wondering, 'Sanshain Gedokuzai' means 'Sunshine Antidote'!

Ok, next chapter will be up soon! (hopefully! :)) Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:DD


	5. The Midnight Sun

**a/n: **Hey, guys! Chapter five is up! I had fun typing up this chapter even though it is rather...serious. The beginning is slightly rocky but I hope you find that it flows smoother later on! :)

Warning: Be prepared for some seriously awesome chakra and Jutsu! :DD

Oh! And I know in previous chapters I wrote that it was after midnight...welp, just pretend it's still before midnight! Haha Thank youu! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

Chapter 5

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic

"Akarui shinobi," Neji hissed, setting Tenten onto the floor and activating his Byakugan, the veins on the side of his head bulging out. Tenten blinked a few times. So this was the infamous Byakugan…

"How many?" Sakura asked as she headed towards Sai, her hands already groping around in her bag.

"There're a lot but they could just all be shadow clones," Neji told her. "But Sakura, you obviously won't be able to do much, especially in the middle of battle. Just take the sword out of Sai's arm and let Temari and Sasuke carry him. You will be watching over Tenten. We'll meet at the river that borders the Fire Country. It can't be more than an hour away." Neji surveyed his team. "In the meantime, I'll take care of the shinobi."

"Alright…" Sakura guided the sword gently from Sai's arm and threw it to the ground, wrapping the wound with bandages that were instantly stained red. She turned to look at Tenten questioningly. "You'll have to ride on my back but don't worry; I'll secure you with chakra threads so you won't fall off."

"Maybe I want to," Tenten muttered childishly as Sakura advanced.

Neji watched as Sakura expertly spun chakra around Tenten and sighed. "You might want to go a different way than Temari and Sasuke," he suggested. "If there are more pursuers, it will make it more difficult for them to find you."

They nodded quickly. Temari and Sasuke lifted Sai gently as Sakura shifted Tenten's position on her back. Neji's gaze lingered on the Taiyookage. She caught him staring and scrunched up her face grotesquely, probably as a symbol of how much she disliked him. He answered it with a smirk and then Tenten was gone in a swirl of pink hair and green leaves.

Neji turned to face his enemy. There were faint rustlings in the branches, disturbing the leaves and giving his position away. There were dozens of the quivering patches, giving the appearance that there were countless enemy. But they were all Shadow clones.

The shaking leaves finally depleted to one and Neji was satisfied that the other Shadow clones had either been retracted or retreated. Neji pivoted in his spot, preparing to meet his opponent.

There was a shout and a flash of white leaped from the trees, a dangerously sharp katana poised high above his head. Neji looked up and dodged it just in time by rolling off of the branch, his precise chakra control the only thing that saved him from plunging to the ground.

The katana made a deep gauge in the branch, embedding itself, but the user pulled it free with unnerving ease. His green eyes met the Hyuga's white ones as Neji straightened up and jumped onto a branch above his enemy's head.

"Where's Tenten?" Satoru demanded, drawing another katana from a strap around his back.

"Who, your Taiyookage?" Neji sneered. "Yeah, she's a hothead, isn't she?"

"You shouldn't insult her," Satoru hissed, launching himself onto the Hyuga.

Satoru slashed with his two swords, creating an X on the tree trunk as Neji had dodged it once again. He landed on the branch beside Satoru. "Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!" Neji planted high-speed palm thrusts on Satoru's lower back.

"Damn!" Satoru swirled around and lunged, aiming at Neji's vital organs.

Then began a whirlwind of thrust and swings and dodges and evasion as Satoru offensively attacked and Neji defensively avoided. In the process, Satoru was frequently rewarded with several of his chakra points being cut off and Neji received various slashes on his limbs.

Satoru paused on a branch, panting heavily as he watched Neji through the corner of his eye. _The constant dodging,_ he thought to himself, _he must be as tired out as I am._

"Why do you try so hard?" Neji asked. "We are obviously matched in our abilities. To defeat the other, we must be defeated ourselves. Clearly, you must have realized this…"

"If your Hokage was taken," Satoru spat out, "would you not go to the ends of the Earth to retrieve him?"

Neji blinked calmly. "Of course, but I'd know that I would have to bring team mates with me. You, though, are alone. Which is why you cannot succeed by simply using weapons."

"My Taiyookage specializes in weapons, also," Satoru snapped.

"But Tenten-san has been captured," Neji reminded him. "If she used ninjutsu or some genjutsu it would've helped…like it would help you."

"On the contrary, I do know ninjutsu…"

Satoru looked to the sky, where the Midnight Sun was almost at its peak in the night sky. _I've got to hurry before it gets to midnight,_ he told himself.

Thrusting his swords to the side, Satoru began to perform a set of seals so quickly that even Neji's Byakugan couldn't detect each separate seal. He lifted his hands into the air, his hands eerily shaped into the setting sun; his right hand gripping his left hand from the back, the right fingers slotted through the spaces between his left fingers.

"Amaterasu-sama, lend me your power!" Satoru cried, unfurling his fingers as yellow lights began to collect around the palms of his hands.

"It's just like the chakra when Tenten-san healed Sasuke using Sanshain Gedokuzai," Neji muttered to himself, "only it's highly concentrated this time. Oh, Kami, this chakra is god-like…"

Satoru's hands cupped the sunlight. "Koosen Kyuushuu!"

The light from the Midnight Sun seemed to be drained into Satoru's fingertips. The Sun grew dimmer as light began to radiate from Satoru, giving the illusion that he was the sun himself. An immensely large celestial body condensed into a mere human; the amount of light was immeasurable. Neji had to look away.

"Is this a good enough for you?" Satoru mocked, the solar energy traveling up his arms and to his chest.

Neji couldn't bring himself to answer. It was amazing chakra that was emitting from his body, clearly surpassing his own. But there had to be a limit, an amount that his body could take before succumbing to the Nature Chakra.

"I suppose you're aware of the effects of radiation on the human body, right?" Satoru smirked widely. "So, what should I do to you? How should I affect you using the power Amaterasu-san has granted me? Should I damage your intestines, your brain, or your heart?"

Neji's throat was dry as he pulled out three shuriken from his pack and threw it at the sparkling Satoru. As soon as they touched the golden substance, they disintegrated.

"Did you forget that shuriken won't work on the Sun?" Satoru spread his arms wide. "This will be fun." He took out a kunai and twirled the tip into the flames. Swirls of the Sun's chakra engulfed the weapon and began to burn.

_That chakra is very powerful, _Neji thought. _I can't let the kunai touch me. _He poised, ready to spring away as soon as he saw Satoru move his arm.

"You can't avoid this…Shindeimasu Koosen!"

The light…began to dim. Neji's surroundings began to grow a hazy outline as his world darkened until it was very dark. With his eyes closed it was still darker but the lack of light was enough so that Neji couldn't the kunai. But Satoru had no idea of the 360˚ vision a Byakugan user had.

Neji waited in silence for the attack to come, beginning to grow suspicious when none came. Then, there was a burning sensation in his side. It died away almost as quickly as it had appeared.

The darkness was lifted from Neji's side and he was able to glance down at his side as the yellow chakra seeped into his body through the wound. "Shit," Neji cursed.

"Oh, I know all about the Byakugan's powers," Satoru smirked. "The reason you didn't feel kunai was because the chakra is of the Sun's. It's nature chakra, meant to be felt as sunlight and not as an attack."

Neji allowed himself a cool smile. "Very clever…you are clearly a worthy opponent.

Satoru did not return the smile. "And you, obviously, are not."

_If this were close-range combat, I'd be kicking your ass, _Neji thought. _But since he has the upper hand with his long-rang attacks, I'm going to have to tire him out and wait until he uses up all his chakra. _There was no way Neji could attempt a close-range attack, especially after witnessing what had happened shuriken. After all, Neji wouldn't survive on the sun.

Satoru produced another kunai and dipped the tip into the chakra once again. He scribbled in the air, the chakra staying in place long enough for Neji to realize that he had drawn a heart. "I assure you," Satoru started, "what I am about to do is extremely painful. I'll ask you again: where is Tenten?"

Neji kept his face impassive, slightly apprehensive as to what Satoru was about to do. "Why would I tell you? She's already long gone. What can you do?"

"I'm going to do whatever I can to save her," Satoru snarled. "Why don't you get it?"

"So you'll do anything to have her back," Neji concluded.

"I'd do anything to bring Tenten back," Satoru reassured.

Neji crossed his arms, ignoring the crackling electricity in his side. "I see…"

Satoru studied him for a moment before waving a glistening, golden hand, dispersing the heart-shaped cloud of chakra. "You obviously won't tell me willingly. Let's see if you after a bit of…ah…_persuasion…_"

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Really…"

Satoru didn't answer but instead gathered the chakra in his palms, molding it into the rough shape of a heart. "_Persuasion…_" he repeated, "Hare Gisei: Shinzoo Itamimasu!"

The wound on Neji's side began to glow and he watched as thin sliver of yellow snaked itself up to his chest where it settled, pulsating slowly. It began as a small headache, feeling lightheaded and woozy, a bit disoriented and dizzy. Slowly, it began to morph into a pounding migraine, a hundred times more potent than a natural one.

Neji's chest began to constrict, as if a large iron fist was slowly crushing his insides. Each breath became labored, his chest filling out only to have the hold tightened and the air would be whooshed out of his lungs.

And suddenly miraculously, it was lifted and Neji could breathe free again.

"That was terrible, wasn't it?" Satoru asked, his voice dripping with mock-sympathy.

"Y-your Sun chakra," Neji gasped out in between gulping breaths, "to a shinobi who is not of Akaruigakure the radiation will feel like this…"

"It's a side-effect of overexposure to the sun," Satoru explained. "The radiation damages blood vessels which increases your chances of higher blood pressure. And that results in everything you have experienced. Akarui ninja have mastered the manipulation of these side-effects and are able to channel it through chakra if they were able to inject some into their target. Clever, eh?"

"Very…" Neji was able to choke out.

"So, are you ready to talk now?" Satoru frowned. "Surely you don't want to experience that again."

"I'll only tell you if you swear to put an end to the war once return to Akarui," Neji conditioned.

Satoru shook his head. "Sorry, but no can do. Taiyookage's orders aren't to be taken lightly, aren't to be thrust aside easily when only a life is put on the line. No, we carry our plans out until Tenten-chan herself makes an official declaration of conclusion."

"You use the suffix so endearingly," Neji observed. The more he delayed, the more he could analyze his fighting technique. "Why, when your Taiyookage is so bitter and blinded by the quest for unjust revenge?"

"You don't understand what she went through," Satoru hissed, "what you Konoha ninja put her through. You have no idea how much she's suffered, how much she's seen, how much has slipped through her grasp."

"It doesn't mean she has to impale the same kind of pain onto others," Neji countered. "It seems to me that she's just a spoiled brat who cries when things don't go her way and hurts others to make her feel better."

Satoru's eyes blazed furiously and a curl of the Sun chakra stretched out and smacked the trunk, splitting it and forcing Neji – who was beyond awe – to hop onto a tree branch above the one he was previously on. "Don't act as if you understand her. Don't pretend as if she is beneath you. And don't you dare insult her. You must be punished."

"How so?" Neji sneered.

He did not answer, only clenched a fist. "Hare Gisei: Noomiso Itamimasu…" Satoru muttered.

Nothing happened and Neji could only smirk down at Satoru. "Is that what you call punishment?"

"This only proves that your body is impure," Satoru answered. "If your body really was at one with nature, the Sun's chakra should have stayed in your body. Only an unfit and dirty body could've repelled the chakra."

"Well then thank goodness, I'm dirty," Neji mocked, secretly glad that the chakra in his body had disappeared. It was beginning to dawn on him how the Akaruigakure shinobi were able to defeat the Leaf's forces so easily.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Satoru continued, coating another kunai with the sun's chakra. "I'll just have to infuse the chakra into your body once more. Now, stay still."

But Neji was ready this time. The Byakugan had seen the attack once already and had expanded its viewing range, except for the blind spot. But Neji could simply pivot, changing the blind spot periodically.

Satoru threw the first kunai and Neji had to flip backwards to avoid being hit once more. And then followed a frenzied dance of cartwheels and back flips and summersaults to avoid the lethal kunai. Satoru showed no relentlessness, throwing one kunai after another.

As Neji flipped into the sky, remaining airborne above his enemy for a few seconds, he digested on how long a battle this was going to be, one of evasion and pursuing. Then he began to fall back to the earth.

* * *

Tenten was extremely uncomfortable. But she wasn't worried about Satoru. She knew that even though he preferred to be a swordsman, Satoru was perfectly capable of using the Sun's chakra to aide him. But as she looked to the sky, the Midnight Sun was almost at its peak in the sky. And when it got there, it would mean trouble for Satoru.

"Are you okay back there?" Sakura looked back slightly at the Taiyookage who was tied onto her back.

"I'm fine," Tenten muttered. "Save your sympathy for someone who needs it."

She felt the pink-haired kunoichi nod. "Look, I'm sorry about this."

Tenten smirked. "Why are you apologizing? Are you going soft? Kunoichi who feel sorry for their enemy are the ones who are killed the quickest."

"That may be," started Sakura, "but I cannot help but feel sorry, even if you were a total bitch before."

Tenten's smirk grew wider.

"I am a medical-nin," Sakura went on, "so I suppose it is in my nature to feel compassion. Anyway, no matter what you may believe, I do understand what you're going through. My parents were also killed in a war, the same war we are fighting now. My brother also perished during an intelligence mission, killed by your border control. I've seen my friends bleed to death before my very eyes, almost always missing a few limbs. They haunt me at night, asking me why, as a medical nin, I couldn't save them."

Tenten was silent.

A tear began to grow in the corner of Sakura's eye. "And they're right. I'm a medical nin, trained to keep my fellow shinobi from dying, not to watch helplessly as the life drains out of them. I can trace the cause of all this, the cradle in which my suffering sprung from." She paused on a branch and turned to look at Tenten. "Do you know what it is?"

This girl wasn't any different from herself. Loved ones gone, hatred stirred, and heart ripped in two; perhaps this pink-haired medical Nin really did understand where Tenten was coming from. "…no," Tenten whispered, although she already knew.

"It was this war you have conjured up, seeking understanding and revenge," Sakura replied thickly. "Well, I've understood your pain. You've got your revenge on me. Isn't that what you wanted? Maybe once we get to Konoha, you'll agree to the ransom."

So that was it. A guilt trick set up to make Tenten believe that, for once, someone outside of her village understood her. But, or course, that wasn't the case. She wouldn't fall for petty lies.

But…

Sakura really did seem to be crying; nose sniffling, wobbly movements, and the occasional teardrop that would land on the tree branch.

"I'm glad you understand," Tenten murmured, willing her fingers to stretch an extra inch to the pouch by her knee. "But you're most likely the only one. And until everyone understands, you cannot dream of this war ending."

In one graceful upwards swing, Tenten sliced through the chakra threads with a chakra-coated knife. Hesitating slightly at the look of Sakura's surprised face, Tenten realized that if she killed Sakura, then no one would understand her. And, the medical nin was decent. Perhaps if they had met in another place, another time, they could have been friends. She debated whether or not to kill the kunoichi

A half a second later, Tenten pressed the hilt into Sakura's neck, hitting a pressure point accurately, and watched as Sakura collapsed to the ground, senseless.

"You forgot to disarm me before tying me up," Tenten whispered as she bounded away. A glance to the sky told her it was nearly midnight. And she hoped that she could reach Satoru before that.

* * *

"I wonder," Neji started as Satoru tainted yet another kunai, "if Tenten is capable of such great strength."

Satoru looked up in surprise. "Yes," he said slowly, carefully calculating his words to avoid giving any weaknesses away, "in fact, she is a much more accomplished ninja than I am, even though she prefers to use her weapons. Tenten is even able to do the Bunshi Nenshou Jutsu, one of the most trying and complicated of all."

Neji paused to rest behind some bushes, narrowly missing the oncoming kunai that landed slightly further away from him than all of the others. It had been cat-and-dog for the last few minutes and Neji was beginning to tire.

Satoru had to have some weakness, something that would be his downfall.

And as Neji studied this shinobi, it suddenly dawned on him.

He now knew how to beat his seemingly-indestructible enemy.

* * *

**a/n:** Yup, a cliffhanger as an ending! *laughs evilly* I'm sure you are all dying to find out how Satoru is to be beat! And I did drop a few hints! Haha

Oh! And all the Jutsu! Below is the translation (they're all literal translations so I do apologize if I made a gramatical error!):  
--_Amaterasu_: Japanese Goddess of the Sun  
--_Koosen Kyuushuu_: Ray Absorption  
--_Shindeimasu Koosen_: Dying Ray  
--_Hare Gisei: Shinzoo/Noomiso Itamimasu:_ Sunny Sacrifice: Heart/Brain Damage  
--_Bunshi Nenshou_: Molecular Combustion

Yesyes, those were fun to come up with! I've got a whole document on Word containing dozens of these original Jutsus! XD

I hope I made Sakura sound nicer...because she was a total b*tch before, I agree. Yes, it would've had made more sense for Sakura to go with Sasuke and Sai (not to mention som SasuSaku interaction) but I planned for Tenten to become friends with Sakura and this was the perfect opportunity!

And that little hand symbol that Satoru made...I hope I made it clear enough! Um...I'll try to describe it again. Ok, so hold up your left hand, palm facing you. Grip your left hand with your right hand from the back by slipping your right fingers from the back through the left fingers. Yeah, I think that just made it even more confusing...Haha sorry!

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	6. His Weakness

**a/n: **Heyhey, guys and girlies! Here's Chapter 6! I'm sure you guys were simply dying to know how Neji will beat Satoru! Haha well wait no longer!

**disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

kisses,  
Iris:D

**

* * *

**

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 6

Akemi ran through the deserted streets, Shin and Katsuo behind her, their shoes pounding onto the ground in a frantic, uneven beat. They skidded around and corner and threw themselves at a wooden door, knocking furiously, shouting for someone to open up the door.

The door opened slowly and Haru, the Taiyookage's Assistant, appeared, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Kids, what's this about? It's almost midnight and you all become Genin tomorrow! Wouldn't want you to be late…" He punctuated this with a yawn.

"Is Satoru there?" Akemi demanded, her green eyes straining to look inside the apartment.

Haru blinked. "Satoru? He lives by himself…why? Has something happened?"

"It's just…" Shin took a deep breath, "…during target practice, Satoru suddenly took us home while Tenten stayed in the Training Grounds!"

"We went back a few minutes ago to see what really went on," Katsuo added, "and there were definitely signs of a battle!"

"There were kunai and shuriken everywhere!" Akemi interrupted. "They were all Tenten-sama's!"

"And what about Satoru?" Haru's eyes narrowed in slight confusion.

"We don't know!" Shin shouted.

Haru rubbed his temples. "Alright, alright, calm down, you three…" He took a deep breath. "Ok, let's go check Satoru's apartment, and if he's not there, we'll take this to the Council of Elders." He pulled on a jacket, slipped on his shoes, and headed out the door, the three soon-to-be Genin trailing after him.

* * *

"Sasuke, we have to stop," Temari panted, struggling to stem the flow of blood that overpowered the bandage on Sai's arm.

"You're right." Sasuke laid Sai gently on the branch and tried not to look at the wound.

Temari unbuckled her pack and rummaged through it. "We need to change the bandages," she announced, producing a roll of gauze.

"I'm not much of a medical ninja," Sasuke pointed out.

"What, didn't Sakura ever teach you anything?" Temari smirked, ripping a strip of the gauze with her teeth.

"No…" At the sound of the pink-haired ninja's name, Sasuke couldn't help but feel slightly worried. Was she okay, traveling alone with the Taiyookage?

Sasuke watched Temari peel back the blood-soaked bandages , the metallic scent of blood making its way to his nostrils.

"I need to clean the wound. Give me the canteen." Temari held her hand out expectantly.

Wordlessly, Sasuke handed the water container to the Sand kunoichi. He felt useless, simply sitting there while his teammate slowly bled to death. But what could he do? It wasn't as if his Chidori would make things better.

"Here, hold his arm up," Temari instructed, nodding to Sai's limp hand. Sasuke complied, remaining quiet. Temari smirked, obviously noticed Sasuke's silence. "You're worried about Sakura, aren't you?"

Her guess was answered with an annoyed, 'Hn…'

"I'll take that as a yes," Temari muttered under her breath. "But you really shouldn't worry. Sakura's an accomplished ninja. You've been her teammate for long enough; you should be able to realize this more than me."

"But there was a time when I was presumed dead for a few years," Sasuke pointed out.

"Yet you should still have a slight grasp on her abilities," Temari sniffed, beginning to wrap the gauze around Sai's wound, deep red flowers almost immediately blossoming on the fabric. "Damn it…" she muttered, tightening the bandages.

Sasuke knew that his concern was wasted. Sakura was an extremely capable kunoichi. There was no way she could be overpowered by another kunoichi who was bound and armless. But a sudden thought struck him, starting out as a tiny whisper voicing its doubts and suddenly growing into a booming shout that could not be ignored.

"Did…" Sasuke paused as Temari looked up expectantly.

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Did we ever disarm Tenten-san?" Sasuke asked.

Temari's eyes widened. "O-of course we did, idiot," she snapped.

"Then what did we do with all of her weapons?" Sasuke persisted.

Temari did not answer.

"Shit!" Sasuke stood up instantly.

"Be realistic, Sasuke," Temari insisted. "Tenten was tied up and there were no places she could have hidden a sword. Even if she did have kunai or shuriken, it wouldn't have broken through the threads!"

"But there's always the possibility that she did have chakra-infused weapons," Sasuke argued. "If she did, Tenten-san would be able to cut through her bonds and probably overpower Sakura! You saw her fighting capability."

"And you're going to go help Sakura, then?" Temari cut the end of the bandage, looking satisfied that the blood hadn't seeped through the numerous layers yet.

"And Neji, too," Sasuke added. "No doubt Tenten will go to aid the Akarui shinobi and then Neji will really have his hands full. It doesn't matter that he's the 'Hyuga's prodigy'; even Neji can't stand alone against the Taiyookage and her finest ninja and make it out alive."

Temari hesitated before nodding slowly. "Alright. You go, but someone needs to stay here behind with Sai." She paused. "And…"

Sasuke waited, about to take off.

"Kick that bitch's ass for me, will you?"

He returned her smirk and launched himself into the trees.

* * *

Neji ducked a bit lower behind the branches, willing his muscles to remain completely still.

"Hiding will get you nowhere," Satoru proclaimed. "It only accentuates your cowardice."

Neji did not bother replying. He was double-checking all of his evaluations, making sure that all of his observations were accurate. If they weren't, well, he might as well kiss his ass good-bye.

But…there was no doubting the obvious dimming of the Sun's chakra. What had began as intensely burning essence had turned into something a touch less than the sun at dusk. The chakra at the tips of the kunai only scorched the tree trunks they struck, instead of completely burning a hole through the bark. While Satoru's determination and accuracy hadn't depleted, the power of the chakra was certainly weakened.

Satoru frowned, knowing that his enemy had, or was on the verge of, figuring out his weakness. _I have to end this quickly,_ he told himself. _It will do me no good to simply go easy on this ninja because I have the upper hand._ He glanced at the sky. _Shit…I've got to hurry. One last Jutsu…_

He clasped his hands together, concentrating, willing all the Sun's chakra to flow into the palms of his hands. The golden glow retracted from the rest of his body, retreating to Satoru's intertwined fingers. "I have to make this quick…" Satoru muttered.

But as he recited the Jutsu aloud, the Midnight Sun ticked into its place in the middle of the sky and vanished, plunging the battlefield into darkness.

_The Midnight Disappearance…_

"Shit…" Satoru muttered, drawing a katana.

Neji was faster and was upon his enemy before his sword was drawn.

"Two palms! Four palms!" Neji shouted as he closed off his enemy's chakra points, all the way up to "Sixty-four palms!"

Satoru lay on the ground, motionless, as the Midnight Sun reemerged, signaling a new day.

Smirking slightly, Neji wiped away blood with the back of his hand and straightened up, nudging the unconscious shinobi with his foot. "This turned out to be an intelligence gathering, also," he remarked to himself. "Naruto will be most pleased to know the time of day when Akarui shinobi can easily be beat."

And with that, Neji launched himself into the air, heading towards the Fire Country border. He was slightly proud of himself of his triumph against the rumored swordsman, slightly forgetting the fact the he had the element of surprise. But it didn't matter. A victory was a victory, no matter how one obtained it.

As Neji leaped onto a particularly sturdy branch, he caught a flash of turquoise below him. He paused, scanning the area for any movement. _Tenten-san was wearing a turquoise robe,_ he thought to himself.

Without hesitating, Neji jumped down and began pursuing the Taiyookage. "Shit," he cursed under his breath. "I didn't think Tenten-san could get away! God, I hope Sakura is ok."

His prey paused on a branch, double-bent with gasping breaths. Her previous defeat was taking an obvious toll on her speed and stamina. Neji crept slowly forward, holding his breath.

Tenten took a step to the right and Neji saw what her eyes did not. As the string snapped and the poison-coated kunai was launched from his hiding spot, Neji burst out from his place with sudden swiftness, rotating quickly. The kunai knocked against the swirling shield and clatter to the ground.

"You saved me." There was no gratitude or appreciation in her voice. Just a dead tone, stating the obvious.

"You're welcome," Neji threw over his shoulder.

"Why not let it hit me; let it kill me?" Tenten demanded, crossing her arms over her azure robes. "Isn't that the revenge you want?"

Neji frowned. "Konoha does not want revenge, only peace. We aim to resolve this matter in the most debonair way."

Tenten gave a snort.

He took advantage of the opening and scooped her up once more, setting off towards where Temari and Sasuke were headed with the injured Sai.

"Put me down!" Tenten shrieked. When he did not oblige, she pulled out a kunai and stabbed him in the shoulder. Neji did not even flinch.

"Put that away. You could hurt someone," he instructed, either not noticing or not caring about the steady trickle of blood. "Also, you definitely owe me for that one. Next time a kunai is fired and aimed for me, you've got to repel that one."

She humphed and turned her head away.

At that time, neither he nor she knew the sacrifice that was laced in with those words.

* * *

Sasuke dashed through the trees, keeping his Sharingan open, looking for an unnatural flash of pink. He found it, still and unmoving, lying face down on a branch shaded by leaves. Heart beating in his chest, Sasuke checked her pulse and was relieved to find it. It was faint but at least it was there.

But Tenten had escaped. She might have shown compassion or mercy or pity – Sasuke didn't know or care – but she still got away and that was what would doom the mission. The security would be even tighter around Akaruigakure, making it more difficult to infiltrate it. The Hokage would have to make another plan, one with even more tricks and clever twists, if they were to emerge victorious.

These thoughts circulated around Sasuke's head as he gently picked Sakura up. There was a bruise forming on the nape of her neck, discoloring the skin a faint purple. No doubt that was where Tenten had hit her, striking the pressure point accurately.

There was absolutely no point in chasing after Tenten. He would either have to travel God knows how many miles, laden with the unconscious kunoichi, or leave Sakura here alone where she might fall prey to a border patrol. No, he had to take her back to Temari, at least, before setting out again. Then, he might be able to scour through the forests once more, on the lookout for Tenten or Neji or both.

A shinobi had to make hard decisions, Sasuke reflected, thinking of Kakashi's father. He had to follow his heart, mind and soul, even without learning the consequences.

_That_ was his ninja way.

* * *

Haru hurried through the streets, the rope of his rope whipping about him, his robe billowing out like a cloak; like a bunny-slippered bird of prey. Akemi, Shin and Katsuo were close behind. He knocked on Satoru's door, listening for a response. When none came, Haru sifted under the welcome mat before producing a silver key. Wordlessly, he stuck it into the key hole and turned, a click resounding from inside.

The doorknob turned and revealed a dark, empty room. Haru gave a gasp and sped away, leaving the door wide open. "Kids, we need to tell the Council of Elders before someone else finds out that both Tenten and Satoru are missing."

"Why?" Katsuo huffed, looking determined.

"If they aren't notified immediately, Tenten-chan and Satoru-kun may be labeled as Missing Nin," Haru explained as Taiyookage Tower loomed ahead of them, the clay still glowing a soft orange in the reappearing Midnight Sun. "We must stop that."

"If they are labeled as Missing Nin," Akemi started hypothetically, "then they'll be sentenced to death!"

"Exactly," Haru nodded, "and if that happens we will be without a leader."

"And then we will be at a disadvantage in the war," Shin added.

Haru smiled fondly at them. "I'm so glad we have such intelligent and observant Genin."

"We're not Genin yet," Akemi reminded him.

"Soon-to-be Genin," Haru corrected himself, chuckling in his head despite the urgency of the situation.

The four burst into the Taiyookage office to find Ryo sorting through a large pile of mission reports. He looked up, surprised, but smiled warmly. "Haru," he greeted, "Akemi, Shin, Katsuo…"

"Ha! He said my name first," Akemi whispered to Shin.

"First is the worst; second is the best," Shin retaliated in a stage whisper.

Ryo waited until the two had been silenced by Katsuo before speaking. "As you can see, I've been stuck with sorting through all these files. Tenten-san has left them all in a mess once again while you had a day off and left me the burden. And then the Midnight Disappearance happened a few moments ago, creating more mess for me. Ah, well, what can I help you with?"

"It's Tenten and Satoru," Haru began, explaining the predicament. "…these three mentioned that the Training Grounds contained evidence of a battle."

"Can you three remember anything unusual that happened before Satoru took you home?" Ryo asked, directing his question at Akemi, Shin, and Katsuo.

Akemi and Shin remained silent while a memory probed itself into Katsuo's head. "I did manage to catch a bit of their conversation…" he said quietly.

"Please tell us, Katsuo-kun," Ryo instructed, gesturing with one hand.

Katsuo closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, the once-gray now a shockingly bright blue. He opened his mouth but it wasn't his voice that emerged; it was Satoru's. _"…you feel that…"_

The pitch changed to a more feminine tone; Tenten's. _"…shinobi…chakra…identified…"_

"…_something would happen…kidnap you…"_ Satoru's voice sounded urgent.

"_You have to take…children now…future of Akaruigakure…in your hands…"_

Katsuo blinked and his eyes returned to their normal eye color. "That's all I heard."

Ryo was deep in thought. "It seems…that the Konoha shinobi have infiltrated Akarui and attempted to kidnap Tenten. It seems, though, that she was more concerned about the children rather than her own well-being."

"Classic Tenten," Haru interjected fondly.

"Either the Konoha shinobi succeeded or that Tenten emerged victorious but hasn't made it known," Ryo concluded.

"Obviously she was beaten," Shin contradicted, "or else why would Satoru be gone, too?"

"He could be helping Tenten get her act together," Katsuo replied.

"She doesn't need help," Akemi protested.

"I still think she was beaten," Shin persisted. "It all makes sense!"

"Yes, but our other theory makes sense also," Haru pointed out gently. "We must critically analyze every aspect of this so we make no wrong judgments."

"We still need to call in the Council of Elders to discuss this," Ryo added, his voice firm. "They may feel that Konoha should be punished further, simply because the thought of abducting our Taiyookage crossed their mind."

* * *

**a/n: **Awww...poor Satoru! I've grown rather attached to my OC but we have to have Neji win! :D

I apologize that it's a bit more than 'pebbly' (teehee). Everyone is seperated (Temari&Sai by the river, Sasuke&Sakura in a tree XD, Neji&Tenten near Satoru's defeated body, and all my OC's in Akarui) so it's inevitable that I jump around a bit. This chapter was mainly a transition into the ascend to the climax! *Ohh!*

Anyway, I know Sasuke was rather OOC when he was all worried about Sakura but remember that technically is out of character for him. In the manga, he's a power-hungry, brother-killing, revenge-seeking little boy. So being worried about Sakura is acceptable in my book! ;) I hope you enjoyed some of the beginnings of SasuSaku!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	7. Unknown

**a/n:** Ok guys, beware that this is a crappy chapter. It's pebbly, not too well-written, and such because this part of the story didn't hold much inspiration for me. But I promise, once they reach Konoha it will all be better! :D

****

disclaimer:

I do not own Naruto

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic

Chapter 7

Satoru picked up his aching head and took note of his surroundings. The Leaf ninja were nowhere in sight, though their chakra left a faint trail behind them. Sunlight dappled the branches as dawn swiftly approached, the chakra from the Sun slowly healing him.

With a groan, he let his head fall back onto the branch, squeezing his eyes shut tightly to try and stem the flow of tears. It was a rule of the shinobi: do not show your emotions. But how could he avoid it when every nerve and fiber within his body screamed for him to cry? Tenten was gone, for goodness sakes, and he had failed in his attempt to bring her back.

He was ashamed, so ashamed. He wasn't worthy of being called a shinobi, much less one of the key players in this war. _It was that damn Midnight Disappearance,_ Satoru thought to himself. _If maybe, just maybe, I had caught up to them sooner, I would have been able to defeat him and bring Tenten back._

Satoru did not know how he could face the rest of the Akarui villagers. Soon, they would all awaken, only to find their Taiyookage abducted and his unauthorized rescue mission a failure. The Council of Elders would surely get their boxers in a twist, positively livid that Satoru would have the gall to try and rescue Tenten without any premeditation. It wouldn't matter that his own father was on the council; they'd cut his head off and hang it in front of the Taiyookage's Tower if they wanted to.

Which they most likely wouldn't, of course. They needed Satoru _alive_ as he was the only one who knew the squad of Konoha ninja's abilities. They needed him to inform them of their fighting techniques, to describe them in painstaking detail until each one was jotted down, memorized and a counterattack was formulated. Then, maybe they might kill him.

Pulling himself up onto shaky feet, Satoru steadied himself, feeling the blood pound in his head. But he had to get back to Akaruigakure quickly. The sooner he raised the alarm, the sooner Tenten would be back with him.

* * *

Neji looked back at Tenten and almost laughed aloud. Almost. "Don't look so angry," he chided. "It distorts your features and makes you look ugly."

Tenten snorted derisively. "Do you think I ever cared about that?"

He didn't answer, only swerved a hard left, causing her to scramble and tighten her hold on his neck. "Whoops."

"Bastard," Tenten hissed back.

"Don't be so accusing."

Neji shot from one branch to the other with ease, closing a particularly wide gap. They had been traveling for almost an hour. After he had made a thorough check that Tenten was completely disarmed – he had even gone as far as to use the Byakugan to see through her clothing, taking note of her furious shade of red – Neji had tied her up once more with chakra threads and set off.

Up ahead, they could hear the rushing and rolling of the stream. As they jumped closer, Neji could make out two figures lying on a wide branch, one with pink hair and the other with black. Another black haired boy leaned over them while a blond kunoichi tended to the wounds.

Stopping to bind Tenten to the tree trunk, Neji stepped lightly next to Temari, leaning over her shoulder. "So Tenten took out Sakura?" he guessed.

Temari nodded. "See this bruise?" She gently touched the dark purple bruise on the base of her neck. "That's where Tenten hit her."

"It was a pressure point, obviously," Sasuke added.

Neji nodded slowly. He glanced down at his other teammate, beads of blood beginning to stain the new bandaged. "How's Sai?"

"He's…hanging in there," Temari admitted. "I've rewrapped the wound but I'm no medical ninja. We're just going to have to wait until Sakura wakes up."

"How long do you think that'll be?" Neji inquired.

"Soon but probably not soon enough," Sasuke admitted. "He's lost a sizable amount of blood."

Neji sighed and ran his hand through his hair, thinking. Suddenly, he turned around and looked at Tenten from the corner of his eye. "You…you healed Sasuke before," he began. "We want you to heal Sai."

Tenten narrowed her eyes irately. "What I wanted never mattered to you so why should it matter to me what you want?"

"She does have a point there," Sasuke muttered while Temari glared angrily at the Taiyookage.

"Tell you what," Neji began after a thought, "if you heal Sai while Sakura is unconscious, we won't tie you up."

"Are you trying to bribe me?" Tenten snarled. "If that's the case, let me go and then I'll heal your teammate."

"How many times do we have to tell you?" Neji sighed. "I'm not letting you go."

Tenten smirked, realizing the double meaning under the words. "Well then."

"You Akarui shinobi are no good," Temari growled, shaking her head. "Injuring two of our teammates and creating this whole war; you're no good at all."

"Save it," Sasuke muttered. "It looks like Sakura is waking up."

Sure enough, the pink-haired kunoichi twitched slightly and slowly sat up, rubbing her aching neck. Slouching herself to somewhat of a sitting position, Sakura blinked slowly, trying to gauge some sense from her surroundings. "Well," Sakura started, laughing weakly, "I guess I'm not too good at guarding."

"It's not your fault," Sasuke reassured her. "We all forgot to disarm Tenten-san."

"Before you do anything else, we need you to check up on Sai." Neji explained the predicament and Sakura leapt into action, unable to bear the fact that her friend had been gradually bleeding to death while she lay dormant.

Watching for a moment as chakra began to seep into her fingertips, Neji glanced back at the Taiyookage. She was still struggling against the chakra ropes, determined to break free even without the help of her weapons. It was rather childish, her determination. It would make much more sense if she simply surrendered and waited for a time until she could be released. But Neji found himself amused at her antics, much of an angered child.

Sakura had unwrapped the bandages slowly and carefully, feeling only slightly squeamish at the raw flesh and bloody tissues; she had seen injuries much worse than Sai's before. Sasuke and Temari, on the other hand, had to look away to avoid regurgitating the contents of their stomachs.

Muttering a few incantations, Sakura held her glowing hands over the gory wound and soon, the blood flow lessened and the relief was apparent in Sai's features. The muscles in his face gave up their previous tenseness and he looked almost comfortable. As Sakura continued her healing Jutsu, the fibers and tissues repaired themselves, sewing themselves shut and morphing the gash into a scar. Producing a clay pot from the depths of her pack, Sakura smothered a handful of sharp-smelling blend of herbs and healing mixtures onto the scar.

"To avoid infection," Sakura explained when the other three gave her questioning looks.

"Good," Neji told her with a nod. "How long do you think until he gains consciousness?"

"He's been awake the whole time," Temari cut in.

"Then how long until we can set out again?" Neji reworded his question.

"An hour at least," Sakura answered, silently daring him to protest when he sighed unhappily.

"Alright then. We wait." Neji settled himself beside Sasuke, every once in a while subtly looking over at Tenten.

* * *

Ryo looked around the room. He was seated at the head of a long rectangular table, its occupants ranging from Haru, who was nineteen, all the way up to Akira, who was ninety and the oldest. "Council, Assistant," he nodded at Haru, who returned it with a wry smile, "it appears that our Taiyookage has been kidnapped by Konoha shinobi."

Around him, murmurs of disbelief and anger aroused as the Jounin around him began to take in the information. A woman with long, yellow hair plaited in a braid stood up, her blue eyes disbelieving. "What proof do you have of that?" she asked, though not skeptically.

"Three Academy students – Shin Akihiro, Katsuo Shigeru, and Akemi Natsuko – supplied us with sufficient evidence of a battle that occurred at the training grounds, Naomi," Haru answered. "Katsuo was even able to use his Sound Memory ability to regenerate the snippets of Tenten's and Satoru's conversation prior to the attack. Moreover, both Tenten and Satoru are nowhere to be found and Konoha chakra taints almost every surface at the sight of battle."

Naomi, nodding, sat back down.

"Are there any other possible scenarios?" piped up Hikaru, a burly looking man with extremely tanned skin due to hours spent under the grueling sun.

"We did consider the theory of Tenten transpiring and simply hasn't shown herself yet but that is extremely unlikely," Ryo replied. "But if you have any other circumstances that are perhaps much more light-hearted, I'd be delighted to hear them."

Hikaru shook his head, holding up his hands apologetically. "None, Ryo-san, I apologize."

"There is no need to apologize for accepting reality," mused Yoko, a retired kunoichi, whose wisdom and age could only rival Akira's.

"But," Ryo continued, "we will not know for sure that Tenten-sama was abducted until Satoru returns. Until then we can only wait."

"Wait no further." The door opened and the three soon-to-be Genin stepped in, Satoru behind them. "Satoru arrived a few minutes ago," Shin proclaimed with a dramatic flourish of his hand.

"Thank you, Shin. Close the door on your way out," Ryo instructed gently.

Though slightly putout at the obvious dismissal, Shin allowed Akemi and Katsuo to pull him out of the Conference Room.

"Satoru," Naomi began, frowning slightly, "what are on earth were you thinking that caused to act so rashly! Jumping into battle with no premeditation or knowledge of your enemy's abilities; you're lucky you weren't killed!"

"Calm down," Akira instructed, hidden in the layers of blankets that looked remarkably like the wrinkles that lined his face. "Let the boy tell us what happened."

"We were training with the Academy students," Satoru started, raking his fingers through his hair, "when we sensed the presence of hauntingly familiar chakra, chakra of the Konoha shinobi. Tenten, she wasn't concerned about herself, not in the slightest. Instead, she worried for the lives of the children." (Here, Yoko sniffed audibly, mumbling something along the lines of 'She always did put the village above everything…that wonderful girl…') "I did as she had asked of me, taking all the students home, and rushed back as quickly as I could only to find the Training Grounds empty."

"So you followed their chakra trail," Haru guessed.

Satoru nodded.

"That was awfully reckless of you," Hikaru pointed out.

"What would you have done?" Satoru snapped. "Their trail was fading already and if I had gotten together reinforcements, it would have disappeared altogether by the time we got there again. The longer I waited, the farther away Tenten got and the harder it would've been to track them."

"He does have a point," Ryo commented neutrally. "Tracking the Konoha squad would be arduously difficult, especially if they crossed the borders before he caught up with them."

"Continue," Yoko instructed.

"There were five distinct chakras, six if you included Tenten," Satoru narrated, "but only one fought me, the Hyuga and apparently an ANBU captain judging by his attire."

"The infamous Byakugan," Naomi breathed incredulously.

"At first, he was no match against my Hare Gisei but subsequently, the Midnight Disappearance occurred." Satoru clenched his fist. "Had I not been in the middle of another Jutsu, that damn Hyuga wouldn't have taken me by surprised and closed off all my chakra points."

"This would be where the sunflower stores would do you well," Hikaru scolded. "If you had some, you wouldn't have run out of chakra."

"The Hyuga defeated you, then," Ryo concluded.

"What strikes me as odd is that he didn't kill you," Haru remarked. "Obviously, he wanted you alive for something. Perhaps to let you know that you were at the mercy of Konoha, only allowed you to live because he chose that path for you."

"Or to make you owe a debt," Hikaru added. "He obviously wanted you to feel indebted so it would loom over you. Next time he needed something done, he would simply mention the debt you owed him and you, he assumed, would be so ashamed that you'd agree to it right away."

"Either way, we cannot take it lightly." Akira stood up and looked out the window, towards the east where the Sun was beginning glow more powerfully. "We must wait until Konoha sends word, demanding what they want in exchange for Tenten."

"Of course, our Taiyookage would never allow Akarui to give up something in exchange for a 'mere, petty' life," Haru pointed out.

"There are times when even the greatest of rulers must be overridden," Naomi proclaimed wisely.

"And so," Akira continued, "we must choose who will replace Tenten until she returns."

Naomi raised her hand. "I nominate Ryo."

"I second that motion," Haru said at once.

"Agreed." Hikaru clapped Ryo heartily on the back.

"Ryo, do you accept the title as Replacement Taiyookage until Tenten comes back?" Yoko turned her cataract-filled eyes onto the General.

"I…" Ryo spluttered modestly, sincerely never dreaming that he would one day rule Akarui, even for a little while.

"Come on, Father," Satoru chimed in. "We all believe in you!"

Ryo nodded slowly and bowed his head respectfully. "I accept. But we must wait and see if the Jounin agree."

"Tomorrow," Akira promised, "we will announce it, at the Academy Promotion Ceremony. And then, we can work towards getting our Taiyookage back!"

* * *

"You didn't have to wait for me," Sai protested for the hundredth time as they jumped from branch to branch.

He had awoken a few minutes before down, shocked that his teammates had waited for him to wake up before setting out. Sai scolded them, telling them that they could have just left a note explaining the situation and departed. "You endangered the success of this mission!" Sai had exclaimed once he regained consciousness. "Really, it would have been much more logical to leave one person here while the rest took Tenten-san back to Konoha."

"Sai, for the last time, what's done is done," Neji sighed, feeling Tenten shift unconsciously. Once Sai had come to his senses, Neji had immediately rounded on Tenten and hit her pressure point, ignoring her screaming protests. Traveling with her was much easier when she wasn't awake. "And if it's any consolation, we'll reach Konoha at sundown today."

"Twelve hours, eh?" Sasuke commented. "Great…"

"Once we get back, I'll have to take you to the hospital, Sasuke," Sakura told him. "We need to…take care of your wounds."

"I know you'll make it all better," Sasuke teased, causing her to blush.

Temari regarded the Konoha shinobi amusedly. "The sooner we get back, the sooner we can put a stop to this war."

"What I'm worried about is whether or not they'll agree to our terms," Neji mused, forcing himself not to look down at Tenten.

"Of course they will!" Sakura exclaimed. "We have their Taiyookage, don't we?"

"That's true," Sai admitted, "but sometimes villages are willing to make sacrifices, looking at the whole picture instead of just one stroke."

"And remember, when we found Tenten, she was alone," Sasuke added. "No doubt there were others with her – children too as we were near a building that looked like an Academy – but she faced us alone. That tells us that she holds the village's safety far above her own."

"Good attributes for a Kage…" Still, Neji didn't allow himself to gaze at the girl in his arms.

"They may feel as if Tenten's life is a small price to pay for victory," Temari replied. "But I sincerely hope not. If they do, though, we threaten to kill her."

"But will we actually kill her if they refuse?" Sakura eyes were wide.

Neji finally allowed himself to glance at the peaceful Tenten. "I don't know."

* * *

**a/n: **Ok, so I've added line breaks in. Even though they were added in on my Word documents, they didnt show up on Fanfiction. *shrugs* Oh well, at least I figured it out! Lol

Welp, with the whole nomination scene, I really have no idea how they would go about doing that so I made something up. Hopefully it sounded believeable?

As I said before in my previous author note, I apologize for the crappiness. Not much motivation for this section of the story but I've already got everything planned out!

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	8. Destined To Be

**a/n:** Alrighty, guys and girlies! In this chapter, Neji's ANBU squad, along with Tenten, finally reach Konoha numerous OCs are introduced.

Sorry about the lateness for this update! Many OCs had to be made up, as it would be terribly unrealistic if the Akaruigakure population only consisted of Satoru, Ryo, and Haru! *laughs* So I had fun making up my OCs but it's been hard work. Every one has to have a slightly different personality and appearance and such, as well as OJ ('original jutsu' not 'orange juice'! Haha) so that took time, also. About 20 OCs were made but only a handful were introduced in this chapter. Dont want you guys to become too confused! XD

Anyway, enough of my ramblings! Enjoy!

**disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 8

"Big, big day today!" Akemi skipped around the Light Academy, towing an eager Shin and a reluctant Katsuo behind her.

"You wonder how she still has so much energy after having only a few hours of sleep," Katsuo murmured, mentioning the fact that the trio hadn't been able to retire until early that morning.

Shin shrugged. "You know how she is; to make up for her lack of sleep she gets hyper."

Thought the three had brought Satoru into the meeting of the Council of Elders last night, they had been quickly ushered out and escorted home by an adamant Mitsuko, reminding them of their promotion to Genin tomorrow. "But only if you can perform the required Jutsu adequately," Mitsuko had told them as she dropped each of them off at their homes. "Which means you need to get as much sleep as you can."

They had listened to her and went to bed straight away, leaving Mitsuko to explain the situation to their worried-out-of-their-minds parents, only lingering long enough to catch the beginning of her account: "Well, you see, your son/daughter has recently been involved in a grave matter of importance and I beg of you not to punish him/her harshly, as his/her actions have helped us greatly. Furthermore…' Each soon-to-be Genin fell asleep with Mitsuko's voice promising their parents that all would be explained the next morning ringing in their ears. And yet, five hours of sleep didn't seem to be enough.

"Hurry!" Akemi urged them, pulling her auburn hair back with a clip.

"I am," Shin mumbled, not bothering to speed up.

"No, you're not!" Akemi protested.

Katsuo sighed. "Please, Akemi, give it a rest."

Her eyes brightened considerably as she turned her eyes onto him. "Sorry, I just don't want to be late for Graduation!"

"It's not going anywhere," Shin pointed out.

Akemi ignored him and continued to skip down the street. "You know, I really wish Tenten-sama was here to see me Graduate from the Academy!"

"She will be back in time to attend the Chuunin Exams," Katsuo reassured her. "I'm sure Ryo-san isn't going to just sit around while our Taiyookage remains confined in the Land of Fire."

She nodded, shielding her eyes with one hand from the already-intense sunlight. "Oh, today's gonna be scorching!"

"As usual," Shin muttered under his breath but Akemi didn't hear him.

"I hope that, wherever she is, Tenten-sama is keeping her cool," Akemi finished.

* * *

Sasuke wiped the perspiration from his brow, noticing his teammates also finding it difficult to travel in such heat. When they had been journeying to Akaruigakure, the heat had seemed less intense simply because of the urgency and need for speed. But now that they had succeeded in their mission, with a few not-so-small bumps in the road, the Sun noticeably beat down on them.

Beads with of sweat clung to his skin, drawing the fabric of ANBU uniform closer, encasing him. His black hair absorbed the sun and burnt his scalp. The heat made him sluggish and lethargic, wanting nothing more to jump into cool water and sleep for an eternity.

Of course, he was too proud to admit it, to ask for a break. He didn't want to be the one who slowed everyone down; the one who begged for a rest and, in the meantime, a rescue party set out from Akarui, only to catch up with them. No, his pride kept him fueled while his exhaustion begged for a rest.

Around him, the heat was taking a toll on his teammates. And he was about to open his mouth when Neji paused, untying the unconscious Tenten from his back and laying her gently on the branch. (Temari, however, looked as if she wanted to push the Taiyookage out of the tree and watch as she plummeted to the ground far below them.) His squad gathered around him expectantly.

"We'll stop here," Neji announced. "We can get a couple hours of rest and then continue through the night to make up for lost time. I'll take first watch. In an hour, I'll wake you all up and we can change guards."

Sasuke plopped down at once and something in his stomach wriggled happily when Sakura sat down next to him and smiled.

And as the Sun rose into the sky, the air around Neji was filled with the even breaths of his Konoha teammates. He sat there, beside Tenten, basking in the sunlight and simply thinking.

Then, Tenten stirred beside him and opened her eyes, blinking a few times. The memories flooding back to her, she gave a cry and jumped up, searching herself for a weapon, obviously forgetting that she had been disarmed. Almost lazily, Neji pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. He straddled her hips and took one wrist in each hand.

"Stay still," he ordered calmly.

"You're such a…" Tenten went on to mutter something that sounded like 'f'kin sole'.

Neji smirked slightly. "I wonder if you really are as strong as that ninja I fought with said."

She ceased her dark murmuring and looked up immediately. "Satoru?"

"Was that his name?" Neji mocked stupidity.

Tenten scowled furiously. "What did you do with him? You didn't kill him, did you?"

"You're so worried about him, it's cute," Neji said derisively. "Tell me, what do you think of him?"

"Satoru? He's my closest friend," Tenten replied at once.

"Yes…" Neji nodded slowly. "I could tell."

Tenten ceased her struggling and stared up at her captor. "Explain."

"He was so obviously worried about you, it broke my heart," Neji said flatly. "His determination, unwillingness to give up, and dedication; it all struck me as actions of a person with much deeper feelings." He waited for Tenten's response but none came. "Tell me, has it ever crossed your mind that…that Satoru…might love you more than a friend?"

"More than a friend," Tenten repeated, staring over Neji's shoulder and into the distance, at a memory that only she could reminisce in.

Neji remained silent, expecting her to answer.

"It's never occurred to me…that he might…feel that way…" Tenten narrowed her eyes, deep in thought.

"What do you think of him?" Neji prompted.

Tenten's dazed expression disappeared and she glared at Neji fiercely. "You know, I don't see why you're so fucking interested. It's not like you actually care."

And as Neji climbed off of the Taiyookage and began to tie her up once more, all he managed to answer with was 'Hn'.

* * *

Haru shuffled through his papers, twelve Akarui forehead protectors lined up beside him. The practical part of the Evaluation was to be taken outside, where each Academy student had to perform the Ray Absorption Jutsu and properly execute the Sunstone Bullet Jutsu.

"Are we ready to begin, Haru?" asked the girl sitting next to him. She couldn't have been more than thirteen but she had already donned the attire and demeanor of a Jounin. Her long black hair spilled over her shoulders and flowed lightly in the gentle wind. A light blue teardrop settled itself in the middle of her forehead, the key feature of the Jousui clan. She turned her dazzling silver eyes on the Taiyookage's Assistant and Director of Light Academy.

"I believe so, Izumi," Haru replied, turning over a page in his stack. "Tell me, is it strange for you to be evaluating your peers?"

"I can hardly say it's foreign to be an evaluator," Izumi muttered under her breath, straightening a crooked forehead protector. "I have, after all, been a part of the Evaluation for quite some time. But yes, I suppose it's unusual for me to be assessing my friends. I hope you realize that I am subject to biases."

"Even prodigies aren't perfect." Haru smiled and called the first name on his list. "Kyoshi Raiden…"

The muttering ceased from the huddled group of soon-to-be Genin and Kyoshi – a serious-looking boy with shoulder-length blonde hair and chartreuse eyes – was pushed out of the pack and stumbled slightly, heading over to the judging table.

Performing the hand seal, Kyoshi raised his hands to the air, shouting, "Amaterasu-sama, lend me your power!" The customary yellow chakra was drawn into his hands as he took the full advantage of the Koosen Kyuushuu.

"Sunstone Bullet, please," Izumi prompted, scribbling something on her clipboard. "Try to aim it there." She pointed at a stuffed, life-sized doll perched against an ancient oak about five meters away.

"Hiishi Dangan," Kyoshi recited.

Tiny pebbles rose up from the ground and ribboned around Kyoshi, coating themselves in the Sun's chakra. With a flick of a finger, Kyoshi directed the tainted pebbles at his target, watching with satisfaction as the 'bullets' raced to their prey, creating miniscule craters in the doll's body.

"Great job, Kyoshi," Haru exclaimed. "You've definitely passed! Welcome to the world of the Genin." He handed the ecstatic Kyoshi a forehead protector.

"It could use some improvement," Izumi murmured, peering over her clipboard at her friend. "Did you notice the X's marked on the doll? They indicate the vital organs and fatal wounds. Ah, well, I suppose your mentor will teach you about them."

"We can't all be prodigies like you," Kyoshi teased, too absorbed in his glee to take Izumi's comments seriously. "Anyway, at least I passed!"

Izumi rolled her eyes, amused. "Well then, congratulations, Kyoshi."

Haru watched as Kyoshi sauntered off excitedly and read the next name on the list. "Kei Daisuke…"

* * *

"Alright, that's everybody…" Haru concluded, circling the last of the names. "Congratulations, you are all Genin now. But don't get too relaxed. We expect you all to train hard and hopefully become Chuunin in a few month's time!"

"I suppose we can let everyone know…" Izumi looked to Haru and he nodded.

Placing the tip of her forefinger on the teardrop emblem, she murmured a few words. As she removed her finger, a strand of sparkling blue water was pulled from the teardrop and hovered in a spherical blob in Izumi's palm. "Mizu Kessei: Denrei," she chanted as the new Genin looked on with wide eyes.

The water took the shape of a bluebird, changing from translucent blue to the feathery azure. The bird took flight and soared around the Academy to the other side, where the Ceremony was to be held.

Shin muttered something that sounded like 'stupid prodigy', which Akemi kicked him for.

"Alright everyone, let's go!" Haru announced, standing up, glad that all of his students had passed.

"Do you think we'll be on the same team?" Kei asked Izumi, as the newly graduated Genin followed the Director of Light Academy.

Izumi shrugged. "I'm not sure they'll even put me on a team."

"So you're going to continue going on missions with your brother and other Jounin?" Kyoshi piped up.

"I hope not," Izumi sighed, fixing the forehead protector that she wore around her waist as a sash. "They're so boring, it's inhuman."

"Tenten-sama may listen to you if you asked her," Kei suggested, his green eyes sparkling hopefully.

"Yeah, you should ask her," Kyoshi agreed. "Anything for her 'prodigy'…"

Izumi remained silent, deciding not to tell her friends what Haru had whispered to her in confidence. No doubt it would all be revealed at the Graduation.

A podium had been constructed in front of the Academy with twelve seats arranged in rows of three beside it. The whole village, save the border patrol, had gathered there for the Graduation.

When Ryo saw the graduates approaching, he took his place at the podium, calling quiet to the well-wishers. Once everyone was silenced, he cleared his throat. "As Izumi's messenger had told us, all twelve of the Genin candidates have passed and now it is time for us to assign each team of three to a mentor."

The twelve Genin, including Izumi, took their seats.

"Akemi Natsuko, Shin Akihiro, and Katsuo Shigeru…you're mentor will be Cho Azumi and you will be known as Team Cho," Ryo said, reading off of a list, gesturing to the young woman with light purple hair and black eyes.

"Doesn't Tenten-sama always conduct the Graduation?" Cho whispered to the man standing next to her.

He looked up in surprise, his amber eyes peering at her through his sandy bangs. "I…I suppose. Perhaps they changed procedures?"

"Bullshit, Yuki, something definitely happened…" Cho muttered, glancing back at her new mentees.

"They look strong, dedicated," Yuki commented. "They might actually be able to stand your ass-whipping teaching techniques."

"We'll see about that…" Cho answered deviously.

Ryo waited until the applause died down before continuing. "And, after days of careful consideration, we have taken Izumi-chan's request of remaining a Genin with peers of her age into consideration and have decided to accept it. She, as well as Kei Daisuke and Kyoshi Raiden, will be known as Team Aoi with her brother as their mentor."

Izumi glanced at her brother, who was standing beside Haru. He caught her eyes and lifted the corner of his mouth into a slight smile. She mouthed 'thank you', which he returned with a gracious nod of his head, and looked back at her new teammates.

After Ryo had read the other two team assignments, he cleared his throat once more. Yoko and Akira appeared beside him. "But to contradict this happy time, we have grave news," Akira began, taking the spot behind the podium.

The spectators hushed, waiting with bated breath.

"We are all aware of the war between Akarui and Konoha," Akira continued, raising his voice to be heard over the shouts and boo's that were emitted when he uttered 'Konoha'. "And it seems that Konoha has taken a very unusual route. They have kidnapped our Taiyookage."

The response was thunderous; villagers were bright red with fury as they expressed their anger.

Akira held up his hands for silence and slowly but surely the yelling subsided to dark mutterings. "The Elders have voted for Ryo-san to become our Replacement Taiyookage for now, until Tenten is able to return to us."

He waited while the crowd cheered for Ryo.

"And now, with a strong leader and dedicated shinobi, we will be able to strike at Konoha for what they have done." Akira glanced at the sea of faces. "Ryo, as an experienced general, will do excellent as a negotiator as well as a strategist. Together, we can bring our Taiyookage back and make Konoha pay!"

They cheered once more, Mitsuko among the loudest.

Beside her, a boy of about sixteen with dark green hair and light gray eyes looked on condescendingly. "I really do think having Ryo-san taking Ten-sama's place is for the best."

Mitsuko stopped and glared at the boy. "Mamoru, you're an idiot. Tenten was chosen as Taiyookage for a reason, and that reason is because she's the strongest."

"She's young, though," Mamoru protested. "It will be a pleasant change to have a veteran leading Akaruigakure."

"So are you saying she's shouldn't be brought back?" Mitsuko challenged him, a glint in her blue eyes.

Mamoru shook his head. "You always jump to absurd conclusions, even in our Academy days. No, I'm saying that while it's vital to have Ten-sama back, perhaps the role of Taiyookage is too heavy a weight on her shoulders. I mean, she did get captured by Konoha shinobi, after all."

"I'd like to see you face off with five ANBU and last as long as she did," Mitsuko hissed.

"Guys, really…" sighed the boy standing next to Mitsuko. His dark brown, shoulder-length hair whipped around his face as he turned to look at them. "We shouldn't be fighting."

Mitsuko scratched her head sheepishly. "Sorry, Ryuu."

"We shouldn't be fighting," Ryuu repeated as if he hadn't heard Mitsuko. "Only through unity can we ever achieve. Teamwork has no 'I'."

Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Genius, Ryuu."

"You do well to remember it," Ryuu said coolly, looking his friend right in the eye. "We're never going to get Tenten-sama back if you two keep fighting. So you guys need to work it out."

* * *

"Finally, we're home," Sai sighed as they scaled the wall that surrounded Konoha and dropped into the village. A clever genjutsu had been placed on Tenten to make her seem invisible so as not too draw attention to the Taiyookage.

"We should head to Hokage Tower and report to Naruto," Neji announced, shifting Tenten's place on his shoulder.

"Hai!" Sakura answered with a salute, winking at Sasuke as she passed him to walk beside Temari.

Tenten, though still groggy and irate, was sane enough to take in the contrasting beauty of Konoha from Akarui. No sign of uniform orange clay, the buildings and fixtures of the Hidden Leaf were splashed a rainbow of hues as a foreground of the Hokage Mountain. Though she'd never admit it to anyone save herself, Tenten was slightly impressed.

Naruto had been conversing with Hinata when Neji's squad entered the Office, releasing the genjutsu placed on Tenten. She took one look at the Hokage and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "So, we finally meet, Hokage-sama," Tenten spat out the supposedly-honorable suffix.

"You…" Temari muttered darkly, taking a step but being stopped by Sai.

Hinata closed the file she and Naruto was studying and headed towards the door. "I'll leave you then?"

"Oh, no, Hinata," Naruto said quickly, "Please stay." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I mean, you deserve to hear this."

"What a nice welcoming for a foreign leader," Tenten scoffed. "Where are the big crowds, the cheering shouts, and honorary speeches? Perhaps you thought me unworthy?"

"Very few people were told about your…ah…visitation," Naruto replied calmly.

"And I wonder why that is; guilt, perhaps? Shame? Not wanting to let your people now of your newly-crossed line?" Tenten scowled.

Naruto studied the Taiyookage. "Your interrogations are intimidating," he answered calmly. "If you were a Konoha shinobi, perhaps you might have rivaled Ino-chan for interrogation skills." Naruto smiled coolly while Tenten's scowled deepened and turned to look at Sai. "Perhaps you'll go up to the Message Room where you'll find Shikamaru and you two can work on a ransom demand?"

Sai nodded and headed out of the room, throwing a meaningless smile at Tenten as he went, which she returned with a scoff.

Naruto stared out the window, his arms clasped behind him, as the rest watched him carefully. "I don't suppose it wise for Tenten-sama to go about unattended. Perchance, could you, Neji, have Tenten-sama stay in the holding cell underneath the ANBU Headquarters? You will, of course, be the one to watch over her during her…stay. I hope you'll find it more convenient to have her stationed in such proximity."

"Of course, Naruto," Neji said with a bow, thoroughly enjoying the horrified look on the Taiyookage's face.

* * *

"You were serious about going?" Kidomaru raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Completely," Kimimaro answered. "And you four are coming with me."

"Damn it," Tayuya cursed, twirling her flute in her hands.

Jirobo glared at her. "Girls shouldn't talk like that. Humph, no wonder you don't have a boyfriend…"

Tayuya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What was that, fatso?"

Sakon surveyed the two disdainfully before turning back to face Kimimaro. "Will they even accept your help?"

"They should." Kimimaro paced around. "They want to destroy Konoha and we're not too fond of them either because of a few loose ends concerning a certain Uchiha. Anyway, we were destined to be allies. Akaruigakure should be able to see that."

* * *

**a/n: **Ok and that's it! And yup, it's the Sound Five, with all of the members still alive! *cheers* Also, it would appear that they have an 'unfondness' with Sasuke. Well, it will get revealed later on what their talking about but only in passing and giving you the bare minimum. I was thinking of writing a sort of 'prequel' once The Broken Pieces is completed concerning Sakura and Sasuke and the whole story on his previous relationship with the Sound Five but we'll see! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the quick SasuSaku hints, as well as a pinch of NaruHina too! :3

Oh and I'm not quite sure if this came across clearly but one of my OCs, Izumi Jousui, is supposed to be a prodigy of the Jousui clan. Even though she 'goes on missions with her brother and other Jounin', Izumi put in a request to remain a Genin, as she feels it would be awkward to spend time with teammates who are much older than her. I kind of modelled her after Itachi (you know, super-smart, graduating early, being promoted frequently) and their names are (kinda, sort of, not really) similiar!

And the Jutsu!  
~**Amaterasu** - Japanese Goddess of the Sun (_Yes, this is a Jutsu used by the Sharingan but it's also a Japanese Goddess used in my context! Sorry if you get confused!)_  
~**Hiishi Dangan **_-_ Sunstone Bullet  
~**Mizu Kessei: Denrei **- Water Formation: Messenger

Anyway, as you might have guessed, I'm extremely tempted to have some 'love' flying around my OCs and I already have the couples made up in my mind! But I want **your** opinion. If you could review, please, and let me know who you think out of my OCs should become a couple! Haha I'll let you all know who's right next chapter! I'm excited to read what you all will say!

Please review!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	9. Idiocy

**a/n:** So, chapter 9 is now up! *squeals* The only thing I dont like about this chapter is the lack of NejiTen moments. Although Sai and Shikamaru discuss it in passing and a little sprinkling of NejiTen towards the ends, this chapter is mostly the events leading up to the climax; the 'ascent', if you will. :D

Enjoy!

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen FanFic  
Chapter 9

"Alright, I'm your mentor, Cho Azumi," Cho introduced herself briskly, pacing around Training Area 6. Shin, Akemi, and Katsuo were seated in front of her, their eyes glued onto their mentor and their ears straining not to miss a word.

"I'm not interested in your likes and dislikes – nothing personal, of course – and as for mine, I'd rather not say. We're not here to play get-to-know you games. No, my purpose is to make the best out of you three. With my help, you'll all succeed in at least becoming Chuunin, perhaps even Jounin if you train hard enough. Do you understand?"

"Hai!" Akemi said at once.

"Good, now that's done and over with," Cho continued, redoing her braid, "I'd like to tell you all about my teaching…style. There will be no slacking off or refusing because if this weren't training but in the real world, you'd probably end up killing yourself or countless others. You will listen to what I say attentively; no ignoring, interrupting, or back-sassing. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sensei," the three Genin chanted together.

"Now, in that case, you can all wander off and do whatever you'd like. But I should let you three know of a day's end evaluation we'll be having at sundown," Cho went on, flashing her midnight black eyes meaningfully. "If you don't pass, you can kiss your dreams of becoming great shinobi good-bye."

"What do we do to prepare for this evaluation?" Katsuo asked, narrowing his eyes in determination.

"I don't know." Cho shrugged and sat down in the grass, stretching out underneath the sunshine. Shin and Akemi shared quizzical looks while Katsuo watched his mentor, intrigued.

"Aren't you going to teach us anything?" Shin inquired.

Cho chuckled at a joke only she knew about. "No. Weren't you listening? Do whatever you'd like – wander around the village, visit the Elders – but keep in mind that failing the evaluation is equivalent to failing at shinobi life."

"Th-that's ridiculous," Akemi stuttered. "Can you at least tell us what you'll be testing us on?"

"I'm teaching you all a very important rule: expect the unexpected," Cho said, sighing and waving around a hand carelessly. "Now, I suggest you three stop interrogating your mentor and see what you can do with a free day."

"This is ridiculous," Shin muttered as Cho began to look up at the sky and gaze at the clouds, seeming to forget about her students.

"So what do we do?" Akemi muttered, glancing over at Cho. "She's…crazy…"

Katsuo pressed his lips together, thinking deeply. "We'd better stay here, guys. What kind of shinobi would we be if we wandered around aimlessly when we could have been grasping a prime opportunity to perfect our Jutsu?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Shin hissed angrily. "You heard her, didn't you? We've got a whole day to relax and you want to hang around our mentor who is completely ignoring us?"

"We've got an evaluation at the end of the day," Katsuo reminded his teammates. "It's obviously on a technique we've learned. So I suggest we stay here and work on our Sunstone Bullet Jutsu. Remember how Izumi told us to aim for the vital points?"

"Oh, yeah, she was yelling at Kyoshi for not doing that," Akemi remembered with a giggle.

"Exactly. Now do you really want a prodigy – a Jousui prodigy no less – scolding you?" Katsuo questioned.

"I'd rather have Izumi shouting at me than Mamoru," Shin muttered under his breath, "The way he's all smug because he's got that stupid mark on his neck, the 'mark of the maple'." He touched the jugular vein on the right side of his neck. "Stupid Kaede."

"That's beside the point," Katsuo said. "Now, I suggest we go to the Training Shed and bring over some of those stuffed dolls and practice our accuracy. Agreed?"

"Yes!" Akemi answered with a playful salute.

"Eh…yeah, alright," Shin agreed rather reluctantly.

Cho propped herself onto her elbows as she watched the three Genin trundle off of the Training Grounds, smiling slightly. "Should I add another one to the list of teams I've failed?" she asked herself out loud. But as Akemi, Shin, and Katsuo returned, laden with targets and dolls, Cho knew she didn't need to. They had already passed the evaluation.

* * *

Shikamaru pushed a draft of the ransom note across the table to Sai. "Here, look over this…"

Sai scanned the paper and nodded. "It seems fine to me but it would be wiser to show this to Naruto."

"I suppose." Shikamaru snatched the draft back and studied it. "It's strange, though, don't you think? Having to write _ransom_ notes…I always thought Konoha was above that."

"It's alien, I agree," Sai answered, unrolling a fresh scroll, "And the ransom is concerning a Kage, no less."

"Tell me, Sai, what is the Taiyookage like? Is she anything like what the rumors say? Is she really as venerable a Weapons Mistress as they make her out to be?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"She certainly is unique," Sai replied, dipping his brush into a bottle of black ink. "Her accuracy is impeccable as the rumors report and she's strong; no doubt about it. Her personality is…explosive but not unlikable."

Shikamaru watched for a moment at Sai began creating strokes on the scroll, the outline of yet another fabulous painter. "Then, she's nice?"

Sai gave a laugh, which then faded back to his normal serene smile. "'Nice' might be a bit of an overstatement. You might want to try 'sarcastic', 'hot-headed', or 'cynical-with-a-splash-of-sunshine'. She_ is_ from the Land of Sun," Sai added with a shrug when Shikamaru looked amused.

"You seem to know her considerably well," Shikamaru observed.

"Books tell you a lot, if only you pay attention," Sai said absentmindedly as he shaded his painting with a deep shade of azure. He paused for a moment, a sudden thought striking him. "And, I've been studying Neji very closely ever since we met the Taiyookage. It seems he finds Tenten-sama very intriguing."

"And what have your books told you about that?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"He constantly watches her when he thinks no one else will notice." Sai gave a short chuckle. "But I guess he hasn't realized how sharpened my attention to detail is even though he's been my captain for a little over two years."

"Neji's always been the one to gaze at forest rather than look at a single leaf," Shikamaru interjected.

"And another thing," Sai continued, "he always insists on carrying her."

"Perhaps he feels that he is the one most suited for the job," Shikamaru offered. "That doesn't mean he's jealous, exactly."

Sai dipped the tip of the paintbrush into a jar of red ink. "Hmm…that might be the case. He might be simply sizing up the Taiyookage and gathering details about her." He was silent for a moment while he highlighted the black strokes. "She also said I was her favorite."

Shikamaru smirked. "Is that a good thing? I'm surprised you care."

"Oh, I care very much," Sai said with one of his signature smiles. "After all, Tenten-sama is such a powerful kunoichi; her view on me might just be the borderline, if I ever anger her, between life and death."

* * *

"You were so stupid," Mika scolded, examining Satoru's body critically. After the Graduation, Ryo had ordered Satoru to visit Mika at the Hospital in order to fix his chakra points.

"I know." Satoru lay on his back, feeling the cool metal seeping into his skin. "I suppose I should have known that Byakugan user would be able to disrupt my chakra flow."

"I'll soon have that fixed," Mika told him reassuringly. "Now stay still."

She walked over to the door, pressing a small yellow button by the doorframe. The roof began to recede, leaving in its place a sheet of glass that the Sun shone through intensely. Mika stood where the light fell, performing the customary hand signs. "Amaterasu-sama, lend me your power!" she chanted, raising her hands into the sun, watching as the chakra began to swirl around it. "_Koosen Kyuushuu_!"

Mika hovered her hands over Satoru's chest where his chakra points had been closed. "_Fenikkusu Namida_," she whispered.

The yellow chakra morphed into the rough shape of a firebird, yellow droplets flying away from the tips of its spread-out wings and an area of concentrated chakra where its eye should have been. The firebird opened its beak and emitted a long, sad note. A tear rolled out of its eyes and landed on Satoru's chest and dissolved as numerous more tears joined it.

Satoru felt a rush of power as the dam broke and his chakra flowed freely once more. "Thank you, Mika."

Mika gave a weak smile and the chakra disappeared, the remaining wisps floating back to the Sun. "I hope this will teach you not to be so reckless. Where is my apprentice with the Chakra Replenishing Mixture?"

"Right here, Mika-sensei," called a boy who entered through the door, carrying a clear liquid in a glass cup. He was skinny, his dark brown hair brushing his bony shoulders and navy blue eyes surveying Satoru critically.

"Give it here, Ryuu," Mika instructed, holding out her hand.

"I can't believe you'd even use the _Fenikkusu Namida Jutsu,_ sensei," Ryuu commented. "You always tell me what a very exhausting Jutsu it is."

"That's why I can only use it very sparingly," Mika answered. "It drains much chakra."

"Then teach me it," Ryuu insisted. "That way, during vital times when your chakra is not sufficient, I may help!"

"You're not ready," Mika said with a sense of finality and she turned to look at Satoru. "Feeling any better?"

"Yes…" Satoru muttered.

"Good, which means you're ready for my interrogation." Mika leaned over Satoru. "Why did you go to rescue Tenten even when it was blatantly obvious that you would not succeed?"

Satoru sniffed and turned his head childishly. "Do you doubt my abilities as a shinobi?"

"Of course not," Mika reassured him. "I simply want to know _why_ you went. If in your place, I would have gotten reinforcements to ensure the success of the rescue, even if I think of Tenten-chan as my own daughter and would do anything to bring her back. I wouldn't have risked myself in a vain attempt" She paused, unable to discern any emotion from Satoru's blank face. "But I suppose you were so overcome by emotions, is that it?"

"Uh…alright," Satoru muttered.

"But I wonder what kind of emotions they were," Mika thought out loud. She turned to face Ryuu. "Have you any idea?"

Ryuu grinned widely. "I think I'm too young to experience love."

"Love?" Satoru yelped, sitting up.

Trying to hide her smile, Mika forcefully shoved him back onto the metal bed. "You…stay still!"

"Mika!"

She turned around as Yuki entered, brushing his sandy hair out of his eyes as his other hand was clasped around a packet of herbs. Yuki nodded toward Satoru and presented the herbs to Mika. "Here, I got these on my last mission," he told her.

"You didn't have to, Yuki." Mika fixed an oddly hard stare at the younger Jounin.

"I'm in your debt," Yuki replied rather emotionlessly, keeping his face void of any emotions. "You know that."

"What I did was simply my job, what I was trained for," Mika pointed out.

"Whatever the case, I still have a debt to fulfill." Yuki shook the bag meaningfully.

"This is the last time, Yuki," Mika bargained. "Imagine, a handsome youth like you trying to help an old lady like me. You'd do well to focus all your energy on…_her._"

Yuki looked away, his cheeks blushed.

"And besides, you've paid the debt a thousand times over. But," Mika paused and plucked the bag out of Yuki's slackened grasp, "this is greatly appreciated."

Seemingly still in a daze, Yuki nodded slowly and headed out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Ryuu looked up curiously at his mentor. "What was that about?"

Mika seemed to look past her apprentice when she answered and at Satoru, who was pointedly ignoring her gaze. "He loves a girl. That's all."

* * *

"I can walk by myself," Tenten hissed as she was practically dragged by Neji into the ANBU Headquarters. She had received plenty a hateful glare from many of the Konoha residents – the news of her arrival must have spread awfully quickly – but simply returned it with an even more intense stare that many found hard to counter. And so she had held her head up high as Neji unceremoniously marched her beside him, holding onto her with a thread of chakra…like a _leash._

Damn it, she was mortified. But she didn't show it at all. Tenten walked the whole way with her head held high, back straight, and shoulders stiff, a regal air about her. No matter how much hate was being radiated at her, they were still common shinobi and Tenten was a Kage, towering over their petty ranks.

"I know you can." Neji smirked, something Tenten had found to be increasingly annoying. "But orders are orders."

"The Hokage never _ordered_ you to lead me on a leash," Tenten pointed out.

"The less you complain, the sooner this gets taken off of you," Neji retorted lightly.

Tenten snorted and fired a leer at a passerby as Neji entered the ANBU Headquarters. Ino, who was conversing with Chouji, looked up at once, her eyes widening in surprise. "Is that the Taiyookage?" she called out to Neji, tossing him a rusty key as he nodded.

He caught it and stuck it into his pocket. "Yes, it is," Neji answered. "I'm taking her to the Holding Cell."

"Has Naruto requested me to interrogate her yet?" Ino asked.

"Not yet." And with, Neji pulled open the door and shoved Tenten into the darkness. Tenten stumbled around in the dark for a moment before a lantern appeared, held in Neji's hand.

He nudged her slightly, nodding down the staircase. "Come on. Let's go."

Holding her head up even straighter, Tenten proceeded down into the inky blackness, her path illuminated from behind. Wiping away a hanging cobweb, she looked back at Neji, whose face was hauntingly eerie as only one side was illuminated. "Seems to me you don't keep prisoners down here too often," she commented drily. "I suppose you're new at this whole 'kidnapping' situation."

"That's true," Neji answered evenly, switching the light to the other hand. "Konoha isn't known for its hostage-keeping."

"What a drag it must be to be assigned to watch over me," Tenten went on. "Surely you have better things to do as an ANBU captain."

"I do have other things," Neji said with a hint of a smirk, as if he simply wanted to infuriate her more, "but that doesn't mean they're as entertaining. I'm sure that being your jailer will reward me with liable amounts of amusement."

"You're despicable," Tenten muttered, turning around to stick out her tongue childishly at Neji. And in doing so, her foot skipped a step and skimmed the edge of the one after it. Her hands cart-wheeled wildly, looking for something to grab onto. In a second, Tenten knew she would hit the cold hard ground and fall down who knows how many more stairs.

And so she was surprised when a hand closed over her upper arm, steadying and pulling her back. Jumping at the touch, Tenten jerked herself away and found herself losing her balance once more. Only this time, the hand stayed latched onto her arm and tumbled down with her.

They rolled and bumped on the staircase, their bodies often acting as a pillow for the other. The light was also pulled down by gravity, tumbling on its steady descent beside Neji and Tenten. Neji struggled to halt himself, succeeding once only to have Tenten crashing into him again and sending him falling once more. "You're an idiot," he managed to choke out before he reached the end, feeling Tenten come to a stop on top of him.

Neji looked into Tenten's face as she shakily pulled herself into an upright position. The lights played with her eyes, making them larger and brighter than before, as if there were a dozen stars implanted into them. Her hair shone against the dark, giving it a glossy sheen, like chocolate-colored silk. A furious red blush crept cross her cheek, though whether it was from embarrassment or anger Neji did not know. And he didn't really care.

A little voice in his head commented on how 'attractive' she looked and Neji scowled inwardly. "You're an idiot," he murmured aloud.

"Yes, I know. Thanks for telling me twice," Tenten huffed, quickly rolling off of him and dusting herself off.

Neji smirked and picked up the lantern, swinging it in front of him menacingly. "Aren't you going to apologize?"

"For what?" Tenten hissed as Neji spun another chakra thread.

"For nearly killing me," Neji retorted.

"Don't get all dramatic," Tenten snarled. "And I thought all shinobi could handle a simple fall."

"Come on," Neji said gruffly, leading her down a short hall and stopping in front of a metal door.

He fitted a key into the keyhole and opened it, revealing a depressingly bare room. A single flickering light bulb hung from the grimy ceiling, giving off an extremely dim light. A wooden cot lay in the far corner, a thin moth-bitten draped over it. The air was musty and damp, punctuated by a steady dripping in the back of the room. The floor was mostly dirt, fallen cobwebs, and the dismal reminders of previous occupants.

"Well, I suppose every castle has a dungeon," Tenten commented drily.

"You could call it that. However, we prefer the term 'holding cell'," Neji told her.

"Call it what you will…" Tenten muttered darkly under her breath, surveying the room. Neji nudged her gently and she took a step, hearing the door close behind her but never the click of a lock. Tenten turned around slowly to see Neji studying her through the slightly-opened door. "Yes?"

"I want to know your reasoning," Neji stated simply.

"My reasoning," Tenten repeated, arching an eyebrow delicately.

"That is, what you ruminated of when declaring war on Konoha," elaborated Neji.

Tenten crossed her arms and pursed her lips irately. "I'm not apt to tell you."

"Then," Neji went on as he eased the door shut, "I hope you'll soon open up to me and find it simpler to confide in me."

* * *

**a/n: **Alright, so some of you might've seen the similarities between Cho and Kakashi's initiation: a test in order to pass with a history of failures. Of course, Team 6 of Akarui (Akemi, Shin, and Katsuo) passed the test without their knowing, just like the original Team 7 of Konoha. The tests were at different ends of the spectrum but there were still similarities. I get much of my inspiration for OCs and their behaviors from the original cast, as you'll all be seeing very soon. :)

As regarding Sai, for some reason, he's also acted as a bit of a bridge between Tenten, Neji, and their feelings, much like he was in my other story Wings We Lack. He analyzes their actions and concludes very accurately. I suppose it's because he doesnt have much of a...characterization (that I'm aware of, at least. Haha) that it's easier to place him different roles without making him seem _too_ OOC. And as for what he was painting, I'm not really sure. *laughs*

Ok, so the terms:  
~**Amaterasu** - Japanese Goddess of the Sun (_Yes, this is a Jutsu used by the Sharingan but it's also a Japanese Goddess used in my context! Sorry if you get confused!)_  
**~Koosen Kyuushuu** - Ray Absorption  
~**Fenikkusu Namida** - Phoenix Tears (_Coinciding with the myth that the tears of a Pheonix have incredible healing powers...)_

Oh and so I've been researching the meanings of the names of my OCs! I'll list a few for each chapter because, without knowing it, I made a lot of them make sense! (I also had to add a few words or rearrange the arrangement of some of them to make sense, though!)  
~**Akemi Natsuko**: Bright beauty of summer  
~**Shin Akihiro**: Heart of bright prince  
~**Katsuo Shigeru**: Luxurious, victorious child  
~**Cho Azumi: **Safe residence of the butterfly

^^They're meaningful, aren't they? :DD

Anyway, please review! Oh, and anymore ideas for who you think will become a couple? I'm very interested to read some of them!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	10. Despite Himself

**a/n:** Alrighty guys. First off I would like to apologize profusely for the uncharacteristically long time period in between updates. Fret not, it wasn't because of a lack of inspiration - no, in fact, this chapter's a bit longer than the rest - but because of the overwhelming amount of tests my teachers are deciding to spring on us. Spanish finals began yesterday and will continue to next week. Next week I have no less than four tests, including a few finals thrown into the mixture. I've been studying like crazy and doing the unfortunate homework that my teachers still found 'neccessary', even among all this stress.

Ah, but enough of my ranting in that little paragraph. If you skipped said blurb ^^ I'm not offended. I would've done the same. Haha

Anyway, I apologize but I'm sure the abundance of NejiTen moments will make up for it!

**disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Only my OCs (original characters), OJs (original Jutsu), and OPs (original places)

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 10

Mitsuko walked briskly through the streets, holding onto the sunflower in her hair so it wouldn't fall out in her rush. The sun was bright in the early morning, as always, but now it seemed to be urging her to hurry and find Mika and Satoru. The Council of Elders didn't specify _what_ exactly was urgent but the tone they spoke in was enough to send Mitsuko hurrying. And as she closed the door, she heard them mention Tenten and she was propelled forward even more at the sound of her mentor's name.

"Someone's in a hurry." A girl with long turquoise hair and hazel eyes stepped in front of Mitsuko, crossing her arms over her developed chest.

"Obviously, Teruko," Mitsuko responded flatly.

Teruko flashed her eyes curiously, the speck of green in the corner of her left eye even more noticeable. "Where are you going?"

"The Hospital…I've got to find Mika and Satoru." Mitsuko tried to sidestep her friend but Teruko remained rooted in front of her. "Seriously, Ai, the Council of Elders needs to speak with them."

"But why?" Teruko insisted. "Does it have something to do with Tenten-sama?"

Mitsuko shrugged carelessly. "I heard them mention her as I left. It must be important. Maybe they received information on how to retrieve her?"

Teruko flipped her hair delicately over her shoulder. "I'm coming with you to the Hospital."

"Why?" Mitsuko blinked. "I thought you hated it there."

"Well…" Teruko coughed. "If you must know…uh…Mamoru told me he'd be there…"

Mitsuko raised an eyebrow and, in Teruko's apparent embarrassment, was able to walk around her friend. "Somehow, I don't think that's it."

"But believe it, Hana," Teruko retorted, blushing slightly.

"Alright…" Mitsuko muttered, rolling her eyes, "but I don't remember when Mamoru ever went into the Hospital. It's only Ryuu there," she added, failing to notice Teruko's blush.

"Why would Mamoru talk to you?" Teruko snapped.

"We _were_ on the same team when we were Genin," Mitsuko pointed out as the two girls fell into step next to one another.

"That was before you decided to train under the Taiyookage," Teruko finished for her. "I don't know how it worked out, though. You specialize in Chlorokinesis while Ten-sama is a Weapons Expert."

"It's a representation between man and nature, weapons against plants," Mitsuko replied rather poetically. "I was actually studying to become a Weapons Expert but then, when I was a Genin, Mamoru showed me a few Chlorokinesis Jutsu, as that's his clan's special attack, and I decided to continue with that. Tenten agreed to train me in both, adding some weaponry on the side as she helped me to harness the power of Chlorokinesis."

"I don't know why you don't ask someone else, though," Teruko said rather suspiciously as the Hospital came into view.

"Tenten-san is a very accomplished kunoichi," Mitsuko insisted, ever defensive of her mentor, "no matter what Mamoru might think." She could help it; it irked her in countless ways when Mamoru showed disrespect towards her beloved Taiyookage.

Teruko gave a chuckle and pushed opened the double doors that led into the Hospital, ushering Mitsuko up the stairs. The Hospital had that sterile, antibacterial scent that made her skin crawl, deeming it as one of Teruko's least favorite places in Akaruigakure. But she didn't mind it much if she saw that someone…

Mitsuko walked the length of the halls, peering into each door window until she let out a cry of triumph and pushed open the door, gesturing for Teruko to follow her.

Inside, Mika and Ryuu were examining Satoru, who had been forced back into the Hospital for a checkup to make sure he had fully healed from his risky rescue mission. Mika was currently having a heated debate with Satoru, who wanted to leave while Mika was insisting that she wasn't quite done yet. On the sidelines, Ryuu was quietly mixing an herbal solution and was the only one noticed the two girls enter.

"Hey, Mitsuko," Ryuu greeted, putting on a carefree grin and continuing to crush the leaves of a tangy-smelling herb.

Teruko brightened considerably at the sight of Ryuu and batted her eyelashes coyly while Mitsuko returned Ryuu's greeting. "Hi, Ryuu-kun," she breathed.

Ryuu blinked for a moment, as if he were trying to register who was currently speaking to him. "Oh, hello." He didn't address Teruko by her name as he had forgotten it and didn't bother hurting her feelings by asking her what it was.

Teruko was unabashed, all the same.

Mika finally looked up, quieting Satoru with a wave of her hand, and smiled earnestly at the Taiyookage's apprentice. "Hello, Mitsuko, Teruko, what can I do for you two?"

"The Council of Elders requests your presence," Mitsuko announced and turned to glance at Satoru, "you, too."

Satoru furrowed his eyebrows questioningly and brushed some silvery hair out of his face. "What for?"

"Because…" began a man's voice from behind Mitsuko and Teruko. They whirled around, surprised, and looked up into the handsome face of Izumi's brother, Aoi. His clan-inherited silver eyes shone out seriously from behind a curtain of raven hair.

"Aoi…why?" Mika pressed.

"It's urgent, of course." Aoi shrugged. "Come on, then, you two. Tenten's ransom note has arrived."

* * *

Naruto accepted the mission report that Hinata had handed to him and flipped through it briefly, scanning the pages and aware of Hinata's gentle gaze. "Why do you choose to hang around this stuffy Hokage Tower when there are so many other places to be?" Naruto questioned teasingly, looking up into Hinata's pale eyes.

"Nowhere else holds as much interest for me," Hinata answered subtly.

"Hm…" Naruto closed the folder and stood up, stretching. "Alright, let's do a trade. You leave the Tower for once and find Neji, telling him to report to me, and I'll treat you to ramen at Ichiraku's later."

Hinata nodded vigorously and left, closing the door softly behind her.

With a sigh, Naruto stood by the window, gazing out into Konoha. The town was still peaceful in the mid-morning sunlight, no signs of suspicious movement. His sight rested on the ANBU Headquarters and his mind whooshed to think of the Taiyookage.

She wanted revenge and justice for what she had suffered through in life; the pain, the losses, the grief, the hurt. And she wanted it so badly that she would provoke a war just to see it done. '_I won't stop until every Konoha civilian understands my pain. Through pain we can seek understanding and only then can true peace come._'

It wasn't as if Naruto himself hadn't suffered losses. Death was a common word for a shinobi, used carelessly and dealt with everyday. It didn't have to be twisted into a gun and pointed at anyone who opposed you.

"What she's doing isn't right," Naruto murmured to himself as if he needed reassurance.

She seemed a strong kunoichi, proud and determined, never wanting to be the cause of failure. Her people would know that and wouldn't agree to the ransom, stating that their pride was holding them in place. Naruto rested his head in his hands. It should've occurred to him earlier that Akaruigakure wouldn't give in because of a few words scribbled on a piece of paper. What with all of the bloody ambushes and brutal attacks, that much should've been clear.

They had seemed to be toying with Konoha, taunting them and nipping at the heels of their feet. Akarui was obviously the holder of the upper hand in the war but decided to act as if Konoha _actually had a chance._

"Konoha's shinobi are strong, undeserving of their pity," Naruto muttered darkly.

It was obvious that they were proud; Tenten had been enough proof. But as much as she was his enemy, he couldn't help feeling slightly compassionate. She might be a captured prisoner, a Kage brought to shame, but she was still a girl and needed to keep sanitary. The thought of the dirty holding cell made Naruto's nose wrinkle in disgust.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Neji entered with Hinata behind him, who closed the door.

Naruto nodded. "It's concerning the Taiyookage. From my observations ad your reports, she seems to be a rather proud kunoichi…"

"Extremely so," Neji muttered, inwardly scowling at the twisted-gut feeling that he was starting to experience every time he thought of Tenten.

"…you do remember how we were to treat her?" Naruto prompted.

"Like an honored guest…" Neji recited. "But really, Naruto-san, I doubt throwing her into the Holding Cell hardly qualifies as 'honored-guest-treatment'. We all know how dirty it is in there."

"Exactly." Naruto nodded. "I want you to take her to the washroom on the third floor of the ANBU Headquarter so she can rinse off and get the grime removed from her body. Even though she's a great and fearsome kunoichi, she still succumbs to common woman discomforts."

"I really don't see the point," Neji argued, determined not to seem too eager to see the Akarui kunoichi again. "She'll clean herself off but she'll get dirty again."

"Hopefully, Akarui will agree to our terms by then and Ten-sama will be able to return to her village," Hinata piped up.

"I don't think they'll give up on something they've had their heart set on so easily," Neji doubted.

"Whatever the case," Naruto continued over the cousins' voices, "I still want you to take her to the washroom on the third floor. But make sure you keep an eye on her."

Neji nodded once and headed for the door. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around quickly, raising an eyebrow at Naruto. "Have you, perhaps, gone soft?" Neji questioned rather bluntly.

"What makes you say that?" Hinata snapped, suddenly defensive.

"No reason…" Neji backed out of the Office.

Naruto remained still, watching Neji with mild interest. He hadn't missed the exaggerated rigidness when he had mentioned Tenten, as if trying to deny any excitement; nor the animated glimmer in Neji's pale eyes as he handed out the orders; nor the brisk pace and eagerness that Neji left behind him in his haste to see Tenten.

"Who really appears to be going soft," Naruto murmured, earning a glance from Hinata, who couldn't clearly hear him, "is _you_."

* * *

Neji hesitated outside of the door to the Holding Cell, setting his lantern on the floor before haltingly unlocking the door, prepared for Tenten's inevitable pounce. It never came.

Tenten was sitting against the wall, her back leaning in the dirt and grime, allowing Neji to realize that Naruto had been right; the Taiyookage really needed a shower. And, despite himself, Neji couldn't help noticing that although her body was caked with mud and dust, it took nothing away from her naturally striking beauty.

Her hair was still styled in her pair of buns but a large portion of it had come out, hanging in arbitrary ripples around her face. Her skin was flawless, glowing like china under the glare of the lantern. The fire of determination hadn't left her eyes yet and as Neji entered, she turned them on him, seemingly staring right at the core of his soul.

The lantern at his feet flickered, elongating its tendrils to caress Tenten's face. Her head was tilted up slightly, shadowing her face, only allowing her bright chocolate eyes to sparkle in the light. One knee was drawn up close to her with the other flung carelessly in front of her, giving her a haunted but eerily calm appearance.

Neji felt his breath catch in his chest but quickly reminded himself to breathe, silently reprimanding himself for such starry-eyed foolishness.

"What?" Tenten demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm taking you to the washroom," Neji reported, leaning coolly against the doorframe, his hands crossed over his chest.

Tenten scoffed quietly, looking away and directing her gaze at an unspecific speck of dust. "Really…?"

"Hokage's orders," Neji retorted, his breath flowing freely once more, questioning why it had ever been stuck in the first place.

"Why the sudden interest?" Tenten panned the quarters she was forced to reside in.

Neji smirked confidently. "Pity, perhaps…"

Tenten frowned and stood up slowly, dignifiedly wiping the dust from her dirty clothes. "In your crazed, Konoha dreams…"

He bent down to retrieve the lantern, letting it slide to rest in the crook of his elbow. "Believe what you will," Neji muttered, latching himself onto her wrist.

Tenten jerked away from the touch, her eyes wide, appalled. Neji, however, tightened his grip until she winced noticeably. Realizing that he had hurt her, Neji softened his hold but didn't let go before remembering that he shouldn't be showing the Taiyookage mercy. Wordlessly, he spun her around to face him, grabbing the other wrist and forcing them towards the ground.

She struggled to break free from Neji's iron-like grip but was unable to and was left to pant heavily, glaring up at him through a screen of brown bangs, her breath floating onto his skin. "Don't. Touch. Me." Tenten accentuated it with an extra wiggle but Neji took no notice; he was too busy trying to slow his racing his heart.

"Come on, you stubborn little girl," Neji finally muttered, forcing his heart to slow down. Goddammit, what was wrong with him?

"What, no chakra threads this time?" Tenten demanded as Neji marched her to the stairs, the lantern swinging back and forth, throwing random patches into light then dark.

"You're not worth it," Neji answered smugly, enjoying the look of fury on her face.

Tenten remained silent, drowning herself in murderous thoughts until her heel hit the first step. "Wait," she ordered.

"I don't listen to you," Neji reminded her.

"I can't walk up the stairs_ backwards_," Tenten complained. "It's impossible."

Neji sighed exasperatedly. "Just try. It can't be that hard."

Tenten shook her head stubbornly, her pink lips contracting into a pout that Neji found hard to resist. "No, you can go first."

Sighing again, though at himself for giving in, Neji rotated on the spot and began climbing the steps backwards with exaggerated ease just to prove Tenten wrong. It was rather easy to do it backwards; much like one of Gai's training regimes. Once establishing a steady rhythm, Neji found himself going quite smoothly.

Until, halfway to the door, Tenten glanced into his eyes shyly; her cheeks tinged a light pink – from embarrassment that Neji had proven her wrong? – and Neji stumbled a little bit.

It was enough, though, to have his foot miss its beat and skim across the top of the step. Neji landed on the stairs on his rear, pulling Tenten down to rest her head on his knee. He glared at her, warning her not to say a single, gloating word.

Tenten, however, pulled her lips back into a satisfied sort of grin. "Told you…not so easy is it?"

"At least I did it…unlike some people," Neji spat out at Tenten's annoying innocent face.

"Only because you were stupid enough to," Tenten fired back.

They continued their bickering until they resurfaced from the musty underground and into the back area of the ANBU Headquarters Lobby. Thankfully, it was empty, saving both of them from piercing stares.

"Come on," Neji ordered again and began to drag Tenten to a back staircase, ignoring the streaks of dirt she left behind.

The staircase branched off at the third floor and Neji let go of one of Tenten's wrists – which she massaged, giving him a dirty face – to unlock the metal door, closing it securely behind him. A hallway extended from the door, unlit by any electrical means' instead, only by a shaft of sunlight that sneaked in through a broken slab of wood. Judging from the dust that littered the floor and the lack of inhabitant, the third floor wasn't used too frequently.

"What did this used to be?" Tenten asked, looking around warily, her previous hostility momentarily forgotten.

"Hospital ward," Neji replied flatly, dragging her along to the last door on the right, "but then they built a new Hospital and this one became abandoned."

He pulled open the door to the washroom and swung her in, closing and locking the door.

The washroom was simple. A white ceramic tub with a curtain attached to a metal rod overhead took up the width of the far wall. A sink and a toilet were nestled together to their right and a plain white rug stretched itself in front of them.

"Hospitals and their obsession with white," Tenten muttered scathingly, eyeing the white walls disapprovingly.

Neji walked around her and turned on the water in the shower, watching it splutter and drip for a few seconds before the water shot out. Tenten watched him for a moment before tugging on the elastics that kept her hair up, letting her hair spill down her back. Like a great chocolate waterfall, her hair rippled down her back and ended in the middle of her spine.

She looked different with her hair down, more innocent and angelic and girly and…beautiful. Neji couldn't help noticing. "I don't normally wear my hair down," she muttered. Tenten looked at him from the corner of her eyes, her brown hair providing some cover, and was surprised by Neji's reaction; all emotion had disappeared from his face, leaving behind a blank mask.

Unknown to her, inside, Neji was shocked. And slightly pleased. He wondered how few people were able to see Tenten looking so feminine and was honored that he was included in that group. Taiyookage had been brought into a new light and Neji's was sure that this one was more appealing.

But, to disguise these feelings, Neji had closed off his flow of emotions. And perhaps closed them too much. Before, at least, he had shown some smugness. When he had composed himself, Neji sighed. "Alright, strip down."

Tenten backed away, horrified, wrapping her hands around her body and glaring at Neji warningly. "What?"

"I hardly think you'll be taking a shower with your clothes on," Neji replied, smirking slightly.

"Why can't you stand outside?" Tenten suggested.

"I'm supposed to be watching you at all times…and that includes now." He shrugged indifferently. "Hokage's orders."

"That's your excuse every time," Tenten hissed.

Neji folded his arms across his chest irately. "It's nothing I haven't seen. Byakugan," he added, gesturing to his pale eyes, when Tenten looked puzzled for a moment.

"You," Tenten began, pointing at Neji's face, "can turn around, you freaking closet-pervert."

His face blank, Neji obliged and turned around, taking up an impatient stance and staring at the door's chipping white paint. He heard the muffled thump of cloth hitting the floor and slapping sound of bare feet against tile. The curtain was pulled closed and water began to fall in irregular splashes, indicating that someone was obstructing its path.

"Do you need any help?" Neji called, thinking about her reaction and smirking already.

"No, dammit," Tenten cursed, "and if I did, I wouldn't be getting it from you!" There was a pause. "Are you still turned around?"

"Yes," Neji replied truthfully as there was a knock on the door.

"Don't you dare open it," Tenten warned.

Ignoring her, Neji pulled open the door and wiped all of the emotions – amused, happy, smug – from his face to greet Sakura.

"Neji…" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why are you inside the washroom with Ten-sama?"

"I have to keep an eye on her," Neji answered, sending a glare at his pink-haired teammate, daring her to question it again.

"Hokage's orders and all, right?" Sakura had an annoying twinkle in her eye.

"Yes." Neji studied her for a moment. "What are you here for?"

"I happen to be on Hokage's orders, too," Sakura announced, bringing forth a wrapped bundle. "Naruto wants me to give these clothes to you to give to Tenten-sama."

Neji accepted the clothes wordlessly, his eyes devoid. "He really is going soft."

"He's worried _you_ might be," contradicted Sakura.

"Pft," Neji scoffed disbelievingly.

"He wants to give you the chance to decide; either give Tenten-sama the clothes so she'll stay clean because you care or don't give them to her and let her continue wearing those dirty garments because you couldn't care less." Sakura turned to leave. "It all depends on how much you care."

Neji glanced at the bundle of cloth in his hand suspiciously, as if he were afraid that the seemingly harmless, inanimate objects would serve as his damnation. But subconsciously, he knew that he was already condemned. By now, he was subliminally sentient to the fact that, despite himself, he cared.

* * *

**a/n:** And that's that! Now, if you have the time, I'd love it if you'd read my following author's note as I have a bit more than a 'few' comments to make on this chapter. Haha. If not, just write me a review. ;)

First off, I've made Ryuu a Medic-nin because I'm tired of seeing girls act as healers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there's ever been an important male Medic-nin. I'm tired of seeing girls in the Hospitals, which is another reason why I like Tenten; she's one of the few girls who arent Medic-nins.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the snippets of NejiTen, although everything seems to be happening on that dang staircase. Romantic, eh? I never actually planned for the staircase to be such an 'important location' but if you think about it, it's rather...metaphorical. You know, Tenten's at the bottom of the stairs and Neji's at the top and it's all about her journey to the peak with him helping her along with sprinklings of cuteness. Haha

Neji's getting feelings now. I think it would be...not strange per se, but uncharacteristic if Tenten was the one to fall for him first, considering her current view on Konoha. We gotta stick to character and that means making Neji moony-eyed but hiding it because, well, he's Neji. XD

And the hints of NaruHina? Hmm...this is a couple that I have not too much experience with, as for some reason, they're my least favorite. *cowers as NaruHina worshippers approach her with pitchforks* Don't get me wrong, I fully support NaruHina but I'm not good with writing it. Maybe that's why I like it the least? Ah, well, hopefully this story will help with it!

Andddd...last but not least, OC Name Meanings!  
~**Mitsuko Hana:** Flower of the Shining Child  
~**Mamoru Kaede: **Protector of the Maple  
~**Ryuu Saboru: **Dragon Spirit of the Third Son/Sun (_It's a play on words, guys. Thank God for homophones! :))  
~_**Teruko Ai:** Love of the Shining Child

Got a favorite? Review and let me know which one! Or just review for the heck of it! Remember, your review is my motivation! And sorry if the long author's note gets to you~!

kisses,  
Iris:D


	11. Suave

**a/n: **Sorry, sorry, about the long update! Ok, so I have a little adventure to tell you all! (Feel free to skip if you have no interest in my life! Haha). Ok, so I was at Six Flags, just chilling with my friends, and all of a sudden, this girl asks me for directions. I get this wierd 'deja vu' feeling, like I've definitely seen this girl before but I can't remember where, so all I can muster up is a 'Whaaat?' She repeats her question and then it hits me. Turns out, she was my best friend from preschool who I haven't seen in almost five years. My god, that made my day! :)

Anyway, that was my little 'upper' of the day.

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen Fanfic  
Chapter 11

"You're such a pervert," Tenten muttered as she snatched the towel out of Neji's hands and gestured for him to cover his eyes. He did so but kept his Byakugan activated, all the better to keep an eye on her with.

"I'm trying to keep my village safe," Neji corrected.

"Do I look like a threat?" Tenten snapped, waving her hands in front of her body. Sakura had brought her a change of plain, civilian clothes; to subtly humiliate her, no doubt.

"Looks are deceiving, Taiyookage-sama," Neji replied lightly.

Tenten scowled and shook her wet hair like a dog, spraying droplets of water everywhere. Neji took a step back as she abandoned that technique and just proceeded to wring her hair.

"Just leave it down," Neji ordered. "It'll dry faster," he added when Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, you seem to know much about hair care, considering the length of yours," Tenten said mockingly.

He recoiled, albeit he wanted to remain near her, and glared at her. She stuck out her tongue childishly but Neji didn't find it unattractive. "You need to lighten up. Learn to take a joke."

"That could get you killed on the battleground, you know," Neji answered sternly, opening the door and herding her out of it.

"Death doesn't just occur on the battlefield," Tenten muttered as they approached the stairs.

* * *

"What's going on?" Satoru pushed past Aoi and boldly strode into the Taiyookage Office, locking eyes with his father. "What have you found out?"

The Council of Elders and a few of the esteemed ANBU captains gathered around Ryo, who set the piece of paper he previously held aside. He indicated for Satoru and Mika to take a seat. Satoru, however, defiantly crossed his arms and refused silently. Ryo sighed and glanced at Mitsuko, Teruko, and Ryuu. "Thank you, Mitsuko-chan. You may take your leave; Teruko and Ryuu, also."

Mitsuko nodded and turned to leave, her friends following her.

"Hey," Teruko whispered to Ryuu on her way out, "do you want to go to get some ramen?"

"Can't." Ryuu didn't even look at her. "I'm going back to the Hospital."

"Oh." Her face fell. "Shut up, Hana!" Teruko shot a glare at her friend, who had begun to hold in her giggle, amused at her friend's attempt at wooing.

"Bye, Mitsuko."

The door closed behind them and Aoi looked glad to see them gone.

Satoru's eyes darted back and forth, a sort of crazed sensation overtaking his feelings. "You never told me what this was about," he began, facing his father but directing the words to Aoi. "But I can guess now. That piece of paper," Satoru pointed at the scroll in his father's hands, "is Tenten-chan's ransom note, isn't it?"

Ryo nodded slowly. "We've gathered here to discuss it."

"Well then, out with it," Satoru demanded. "What does it say?"

"Peace, young one," Yoko murmured soothingly. "Being hasty never ends well."

Satoru dipped his head respectfully. "I apologize, Yoko-san. Perhaps my emotions have gotten the better of me."

"Understandable," Naomi replied, straightening her ANBU vest absentmindedly.

"Let the boy read it," Hikaru suggested to the Replacement Taiyookage.

As much as Satoru resented being called 'boy' – he was of age, for goodness sakes – he was satisfied when his father passed over the scroll. He skimmed the parchment quickly and glared over the top of the paper. "They want to exchange Tenten's life for the end of the war?" he inquired incredulously.

"It would appear so," Ryo answered calmly.

"No, absolutely not," Satoru stated at once, "Everyone knows that Tenten would give her life to ensure the victory of this war. It was her deepest wish and I won't go against it."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Mika piped up and Satoru whirled around, quite forgetting that she was there.

"We must attack Konoha and save Ten-chan," Satoru announced spectacularly.

"That's illogical," Hikaru pointed out evenly. "You're contradicting yourself. Just now, you proclaimed that you would never defy Tenten-sama's wishes but by trying to rescue her, you're going against her wish to never be saved like some helpless damsel-in-distress."

"Tenten-sama never did like being helped. She regarded herself as a very independent person," Mika added.

"Then what do we do?" Yoko echoed the Medic-Nin. "Konoha threatens to kill Tenten if we don't abide."

"Listen to yourselves," Naomi commanded. "Konoha is not a coldhearted murderer! They never kill without purpose! And even if they did have a purpose, their soft Hokage will pity Tenten-san and allow her to live as a prisoner, or even let her go!"

"Not all Konoha ninja are that merciful, though," Akira contradicted. "The birds have told me of a few shinobi who would kill if there was even a speck of provocation. That Uchiha, for example…Sasuke Uchiha…I've heard many a rumor about him. They say he trained with Orochimaru himself."

"His brother had even joined Akatsuki after slaughtering their whole clan," Satoru inserted. "And the Hyuga clan, as well…the Head even allowed his own brother to be killed in his stead…we can't trust Konoha to be merciful. We must take their threat seriously."

Mika shook her head helplessly. "But what do we do?"

Ryo glanced at the older Jousui sibling, who was deep in thought. "How about you, Aoi? You haven't said much."

"There's no need to talk when one is thinking," Aoi responded. "Also, I've always found thinking aloud to be bothersome."

"What you say will not be considered annoying," Akira told the younger shinobi. "We have always held a deep respect to those of the Jousui Clan."

It was true. The head of the Jousui clan, Suichi-sama, had worked among Tenten and the Council of Elders to build Akaruigakure and the clan even produced vital players in the war. Izumi, for one, was an obvious prodigy, able to handle tasks and missions that even a few Jounin were unable to perform. And though Aoi wasn't as noticeable as his younger sister, he had still received top marks at the Academy and his common sense and ability to assess a situation was well-appreciated by all.

"Speak your mind," Yoko prompted.

"It's already been decided that we cannot allow the war to cease simply because of a few words on paper," Aoi started thoughtfully. "What we need is a suave and diplomatic method of coming to terms with the Hokage. So, I suggest we send a delegation over to Konoha to negotiate the release of Tenten." He looked around, unsure.

"I do believe that's a fine idea," Ryo said quietly.

"I second it," Mika announced.

"You have my support," Yoko agreed.

"Then we'll need to round up a team," Satoru proposed.

Hikaru held up a hand to silence everyone. "I have a point to bring up."

Satoru fought the urge to throw up his arms in frustration. "What is it, Hikaru-san?"

"I don't think Konoha will take a delegation too kindly," Hikaru mused. "It was well-known before of the Hokage's pacifism but they seem to have crossed the line from then. An ambush, an abduction, a ransom; these are the areas in which Konoha never dared enter before. We're dealing with a different enemy now, one that has lost its reason. I have no clue what is churning through the Hokage's head at the moment, but I can be sure that it's a thousand folds different from what we're used to."

"But what other choice do we have, Hikaru?" Akira wondered.

Hikaru shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I was merely speaking what I thought."

Ryo nodded once, to let the ANBU Captain know that that was perfectly acceptable, and took a deep breath. "As we have no other face-saving alternative, I propose that we gather a team to send to Konoha as an embassy. Any nominations?"

"Mitsuko Hana," Naomi called out instantly, "is Tenten's apprentice. Not only does she deserve to go the most, she is very accomplished at Chlorokinesis, almost as good as some Kaede clan members."

"She would be the best to negotiate for Tenten's release," Aoi acquiesced. "She's level-headed most of the time and is experienced in the etiquette when conversing with shinobi of higher rank and venerability."

"That's true. Mitsuko-chan also has a quick tongue which will be useful for negotiations as well as common sense," Mika added.

"Is it really wise to send a Chuunin on a delegation mission?" Hikaru questioned. "Perhaps we need to send over a Jounin with her."

"Yuki Taro," Akira offered, "who was Mitsuko's previous mentor."

"To ensure cooperation on this mission, it would be wise to send out the original Team 5," Satoru recommended. "Yuki Taro, Mitsuko Hana, Mamoru Kaede, and Ryuu Saburo…"

"Yes, Mamoru from the Kaede clan, known for their Chlorokinesis Jutsu, and Ryuu-kun, my own apprentice," Mika advocated, "They're a good bunch, reliable and trustworthy."

"Should we send Izumi-chan as well?" Yoko wondered. "Having two venerable clans is better than only one."

"I don't think so," Aoi replied. "Izumi will get carried away. She's like the ocean, calm and peaceful one minute and then violently tossing and sending salty spray up the next."

Ryo nodded once. "Then, Team 5 will be our embassy. Are we in agreement?"

Around the Office came gestures of approval and Ryo was satisfied. "Wonderful, then we'll need to call in the team to discuss the details of this mission. Send for Yuki, will you?" Ryo directed his question at Naomi, who left quickly to do what she was bidden. He watched her go and glanced at the assembly, his eyes resting on his son.

"I promise, we'll get Ten-chan back." He directed his words at Satoru.

* * *

"He's so full of himself," Tenten muttered to herself darkly. "I wish I could cut that smirk off of his arrogant face." She threw a handful of dirt at the opposite wall, frowning when it lost speed and disintegrated to the floor. "Is it too much to ask to have some privacy whilst taking a shower? Was he raised by that perverted Sannin, or something?"

She glanced up as the door unlocked and she braced herself for Neji's face, trying to swallow her anger and annoyance. He entered, carrying a bowl of watery soup and a slightly-stale hunk of bread on a rusted metal tray.

"You're not happy to see me," Neji guessed immediately. "Your facial features give it away."

Tenten huffed. "Shinobi don't lack emotion, you know."

"No," he agreed, bending down to set the tray beside her, "but we're trained to keep them under control." Neji straightened up and sighed, appearing as if he was having an internal battle with himself. "Do you really hate Konoha enough to condemn every citizen to death?"

"Not death," Tenten corrected him, "but revenge…"

Neji crossed his arms and glared down through slit eyes at the girl sitting on the dirty floor. "Why?"

Her eyes narrowed to match his. "Are you really that daft? It's the will of justice, Hyuga, and I'm simply helping it along."

"Who gave you the authority?" He leaned against the walls, feeling the grime claw at his clothes, but stood his ground, determined to show Tenten just how hardy he was.

"I did," Tenten spat out passionately. "All of me gave the authority; my soul, my brain, my heart."

"Your heart," Neji echoed, his eyes devoid. "That's a laugh."

She clenched a fist angrily, seriously considering taking on the ANBU Captain unarmed. "Why are you even here?"

"I'm your assigned jailor, in case you forgot. And I'm curious about your motives," Neji replied calmly, despite his companion's evident fury. "I'm sure I told you that before."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Tenten hissed, drawing her knees closer.

"But satisfaction brought it back to life," Neji ended.

Tenten scoffed. "I've never heard that before. Congratulations for being so clever." She couldn't keep the mocking tone out of her response.

Neji didn't credit that with an answer and instead paced around the room, keeping his pale eyes locked with Tenten's. "You could escape. I'm nowhere near the door and your pathway is clear."

He watched her eyes dart hopefully at the open cell door and back at him, taking note of his position. Neji wasn't blind to the desire that her sienna eyes, nor the tension that had gathered in her limbs. Suddenly, he panicked. Would she actually run away? Did she want to leave Konoha…and him…so badly? He then chided himself for such unprofessional thoughts but couldn't help but feel relieved as Tenten relaxed, turning away from the exit.

"I'm not a fool," Tenten proclaimed. "We're underneath ANBU Headquarters and if I carelessly dashed up those stairs, a dozen ANBU would pounce on me. So, no matter how tempting it may be, I'm not going to run away."

"Really…" Neji didn't look convinced. "If that's the case, we can continue our chat then."

"I still don't know why the hell you're so interested!" Tenten exploded angrily, leaping to her feet.

Neji arched an eyebrow delicately, keeping his face serene. In truth, he himself also had no idea why he cared but he assured himself that it was only her reasoning he was concerned with, not the Taiyookage herself. "There's no need to overreact."

Tenten shook her head quickly, much like a dog that had drenched itself in water. "I should have known that you of all shinobi would understand the least. We're too different. There's no way we can possibly get along."

It surprised him just how much that stung. "Then elaborate…"

"You're no stranger to me," Tenten began and Neji raised both of his eyebrows now. "I've heard of you; prodigy, smart, attractive, ANBU captain at sixteen, and always swarmed by beloved family, friends, and admirers. I've paid attention to your legacy, knowing I would most likely meet you one day on the battlefield if my war continued. A face-off between two important and accomplished shinobi is inevitable. But I wouldn't expect you to know what it's like to have everyone you love dead and the pain that surfaces. You're surrounded by people who care about you…unlike me."

Neji was silent, taking it all in.

"I'm hesitant to get close to people now," Tenten admitted sheepishly, unable to stop her ramblings. "Everyone I held near and dear to my heart had been torn away from me. My parents were slaughtered, my brother murdered, my friends stabbed before my eyes…and those that are still alive today are lucky, but their luck will run out one day. And where will that leave me?"

She laughed almost embarrassedly, running her fingers through her bangs. "I'm guessing you don't have an answer for me, Hyuga. You simply can't imagine it. You'll never know what it's like. You'll never be alone. You'll never know my pain." Tenten rose unsteadily to her feet. "You'll never," she whispered, staggering towards him, "get close to me."

Pure shock held him still but the adrenaline rushed through him, bringing him to his senses in time to block Tenten's jab. In her weakened, emotional state, Tenten could only stumble slightly, struggling to regain her footing, and mutter curses under her breath in a shaky voice.

Two strong arms snaked their way from behind her and gently guided her to her cot, laying her down tenderly. It wasn't unpleasant, having his skin touching hers so intimately and so she resisted the urge to pull away. There was an unusual fluttery feeling flowing from the bottom of her stomach, one that sent tingles up her spine and her cheeks to blush. Tenten thanked God that the lighting in the Holding Cell was dim. And she dismissed the starry-eyed feelings and replaced them with hatred.

She viciously wiped away a tear that had escaped, as if by erasing the evidence she'd erase the deed. "Shinobi shouldn't show their feelings," she muttered, staring up at the ceiling as Neji backed away. "You were right."

"And so were you," Neji answered quietly. "It's true that I've never technically been alone in my life but there were times when I felt that everyone had abandoned me."

"Abandonment and death are two completely different things," Tenten murmured, her previous outburst slowly receding.

Neji ignored her and went on. "No matter what you might think, Ten-sama, I've had friends die before in battles, in wars…in your war," he added. "I understand what it's like, and I'm sure every other shinobi does, too. My remaining comrades didn't love me as my dead ones did. They loved me and now they're gone. So despite what you believe, I'm truly alone."

Tenten took a deep shuddering breath. "Did you love them back?"

"Familial love? Yes…anything deeper? Not yet…" Neji shrugged indifferently. "Perhaps love has deserted me after all?"

"Feeling overcome by a love you abandoned only to have it come back once you finally accepted its departure…" Tenten offered. "Are you growing sentimental? There's no need to become nostalgic."

"Looking at you just makes me feel that way," Neji confessed after a pause, then cursed himself for uttering the words.

But Tenten didn't seem to quite understand. "I make you feel nostalgic?"

He recovered, relieved. "…Sure, alright…"

* * *

"Satoru?"

He looked up, startled, as Aoi walked leisurely over; he was never one to rush. Satoru waited for him to catch up and began walking keeping in pace with the Jousui sibling.

The meeting had ended with Yuki arriving with Mitsuko, Mamoru, and Ryuu entering the Taiyookage's Office for an instruction on their mission. Yuki had agreed to it rather reluctantly, putting on an air that suggested he thought an embassy mission was to his distaste.

Mamoru coughed slightly when Mitsuko had readily and eagerly agreed to the mission, promising all present that she'd bring back Akarui's Top Kunoichi. She had immediately shot a glare at Mamoru and turned away, chatting animatedly with Ryuu about the mission, ignoring Mamoru's glares that were intended to bore holes in her shoulder. The maple-leaf tattoo on his right jugular vein pulsed a dark green, not unlike the shade of his hair, which indicated that he was slightly covetous. Ryuu questioned him about it but he didn't reveal why he felt the way he did. But Ryuu already knew, even if Mitsuko was blind to it. As much as Mitsuko believed in love, she really was inexperienced with it.

Yuki had quieted them down and they listened, wilting under the stern gaze of their former mentor and present leader. All three Chuunin were aware of the grave situation and were mature enough to save their bickering for a more appropriate time; even Mamoru, who wasn't prepared to put his heart and soul into a mission that he truly believed would fail.

He had shared his belief subtly but Satoru understood the implication and forced himself not to pounce on the Chuunin, reminding himself that this group of shinobi would bring Tenten back if all went well. And so the meeting finally ended, and Satoru had rushed out right away, desperate to get as far away as he could from the Kaede prodigy to avoid his emotions to get the better of him.

But as he darted out the door most unsophisticatedly, he couldn't help thinking that that Kaede Chuunin was getting a little too big for his britches. No one dared criticize the Taiyookage's capabilities. Yet members of the Kaede Clan were entitled to their own opinion since they were revered greatly. And that's why Satoru was so desperate to retreat.

"Yes, Aoi?" Satoru initiated.

"I want your opinion," Aoi began, flashing his silver eyes at the older ANBU member.

"About what?" pressed Satoru after Aoi paused for a considerable amount of time.

Aoi sighed. "Perhaps Hikaru was right. I've been going over all the facts in my head and they just don't add up to what I once thought they did. Konoha _has_ changed considerably and now I won't be surprised if they don't take the delegation well. And yet, if we don't do anything, they may kill Ten-sama. Do you think my proposal will actually condemn her even more?"

"Konoha…may have altered their ways significantly but we know they aren't murderers. They fight with reason and only kill when completely necessary. Their courses of action may have changed but their hearts haven't," Satoru ended confidently.

"Are you positive?" Aoi didn't look convinced.

"Yes…" Satoru thought of Neji, who could have easily killed the Akarui shinobi but didn't, expressing his mercy and sucking Satoru into a most unpleasant feeling of debt. But his life had been spared, proving to be a prime example of Konoha's clemency, present in even the ANBU Captains.

Aoi raised an eyebrow at Satoru's involuntary fist-clenching, glancing at the ANBU member's hand. "Are you alright?" When Satoru glanced up, confused, Aoi nodded meaningfully at his fingers.

Satoru shook his head, trying to clear his mind, and pushed his silver hair out of his face. "I'm fine."

"It's alright to feel emotion when those close to you have been stolen away," Aoi pointed out. "I understand that it's hard to let go of Tenten."

His eyes narrowed, Satoru glared at the younger ninja. "I'm not 'letting go' of Tenten. She's not gone. She's coming back. Don't you dare say she's not."

Dutifully, Aoi nodded once more but Satoru continued speaking, cutting him off.

"I won't let her go without a fight," Satoru went on passionately. "And you, as a witness, will be present as I make a promise. I _will_ bring Tenten back and not a Kage, beast, or shinobi can stop me. I will succeed, even if I die trying."

* * *

**a/n: **Oh, Neji, smooth move there. Almost let the cat out of the bag. And the extra little snippit about 'satisfaction bringing the curiosity-killed cat back to life'? Don't know what possessed the author to do so. XD And I feel bad for Teruko, what with her onesided crush. That kind of love is the worst. Not that I would know. Haha

So, I'm unhappy with the lack of NejiTen moments, because we all know how giddy I get over them. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter's installment of their interactions. But we all know there's more to come in the next chapters. I was skimming through my outline and cutting off wherever I thought a new chapter would start/end and this story is going to be anywhere from thirty-five to forty chapters. Could be more or less depending how much detail I'll go into or if I add or take away a few snippits. :)

Alright, so I want to make it clear that Jousui and Kaede are the two most prominent clans in Akarui, much like Hyuga and Uchiha of Konoha. I'm not clear which clan correlates to which counterpart but I think it could really be either way. Jousui and Izumi and Aoi are to Uchiha and Sasuke and Itachi, I guess. Clan, younger sibling, older sibling. It's just that Izumi doesnt kill her entire clan or join the Akatsuki. Thank God. And if I had to choose a favorite original character, it would be a tie between Satoru and Izumi.

Ok, so name-meanings:  
~**Yuki Taro**: Snowy, Great son (_o.O_)  
~**Haru Shinji**: True light of second son/sun _(Ah, homophones. They make name-meanings all the more meaningful.)  
_~**Hikaru Takayuki**: Radiant Height  
~**Naomi Kin**: Beauty of Gold

I really like all of them ^^ except for Yuki's name. It doesn't really flow. But if you have an opinion on names, drop me a review and make my day, just like my adventure in the beginning authir's note did! :)

Oh and I'll be leaving for China on Friday (Yup, I'm Chinese) but I'll get a lot of writing done on the thirteen hour plane ride! *whoopee* And my dad's letting me bring my laptop so updates will be attempted to be posted every week or so. Haha :)

kisses,  
Iris:D


	12. Wavering

**a/n: **To start off, I have some explaining to do, don't I? More than two weeks and no updates? Well, as some of you might know, I was in China and the uploader wasn't cooperating so I had to wait until now - I just got home from the airport - to post the chapters! I'm sorry that it's been so long and I hope I haven't lost anyone's interest!

Now, I know you all have waited long enough, enjoy the chapter!

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

The Broken Pieces: A NejiTen FanFic  
Chapter 12

Aoi smiled slightly. "Your love stretches far."

Satoru blinked quickly, nonplussed that Aoi had made such an assumption. "Love?"

"It's rather apparent," Aoi elaborated.

"An obligation," Satoru contradicted firmly, "that's what I feel towards Tenten-chan. It comes from a promise I made long ago."

"A promise?" Aoi repeated.

Satoru sighed, allowing himself to be lost in his memories. "I was the only one she cried in front of," he said quietly. "Anyone else and she would pull on her rigid mask, insisting that she was fine. And the first time that she wept in front of me, the day after her parents were murdered, she confessed to me and only me that she was scared. She was afraid Konoha would come to kill her, too. I told her to be strong. And do you know what she said? '_You're right, Satoru-kun; as always. You know what? I'll defeat Konoha one day and I won't ever let myself appear weak again_'."

"And then you made your promise," guessed Aoi.

"I swore that I would be by her side when Konoha was defeated. I swore that I would help her if she wanted to conquer the world. And then I swore that I would give my last breath to rescue her if she was captured." Satoru took a breath to steady himself. "So don't you see? In the end, it's got to be me that frees Tenten, whether indirectly or not, or else I'll never be able to live with myself, knowing that I broke the most important promise, the promise that mattered most."

* * *

"I hear in Konoha, nighttimes are completely dark," Mitsuko commented thoughtfully to Ryuu as their new team gathered their supplies. "There's no Midnight Sun at all."

"It's called the Moon," Mamoru interrupted sourly.

"Peculiar," Ryuu responded, ignoring Mamoru and zippering his bag shut. "It will hinder our fighting capabilities especially if there's no Midnight Sun. You did store some sunflowers, didn't you?"

Mitsuko produced a bouquet of the yellow flowers, their petals glittering with the Sun's chakra. "I've infused enough chakra for one Jutsu into each sunflower."

Ryuu nodded. "Good."

Yuki glanced at his team. "Have you got everything?"

Mamoru shouldered his pack easily despite its bulging form and watched Mitsuko struggle to carry hers. With a sigh, he reached over and relieved her of her sleeping bag and added it to his own pile, ignoring her attempts to retrieve it. "Yes."

"Then let's go." Yuki nodded once to Ryo, who was overseeing their departure, and turned to leave, signaling Ryuu, Mitsuko, and Mamoru to follow with a flick of his finger.

"Wait!"

He twisted his head to peer over his shoulder, only to have Cho attach herself to his neck from behind, her mouth positioned intimately close to his ear. Yuki stiffened as she relayed her message and then relaxed, nodding once, signaling that she was to release him. Cho laughed, throwing her hair over her shoulder, and obliged, backing away to allow them a clear pathway.

Yuki ignored Mitsuko's probing stares – she clearly had forgotten trying to snatch back her sleeping bag, leaving Mamoru with nothing to do but dismissively wave good-bye to his admirers – and began walking. Of course, when they were out of earshot and well into the forest, Mitsuko began chattering to Yuki.

"So? What did she say?" Mitsuko warbled, skipping easily around her previous mentor thanks to the fact that Mamoru was now carrying her sleeping bag.

"Who?" Yuki stared straight ahead.

Mitsuko frowned, guessing that he was feigning ignorance. "You know who, Yuki-sensei! Cho!"

"Oh." He brushed his sandy bangs out of his face as a light breeze blew by.

"Well?" she prompted. But when no answer came, Mitsuko glanced back for fortification but Ryuu just shook his head once, amused, and Mamoru simply glared, as if daring her to ask for his help aloud. She sighed and fell into step beside her former sensei. "What did she whisper in your ear before we left?"

Yuki blinked. "I hardly think that's any of your business."

"But I want to know!" Mitsuko exclaimed as if she hadn't made that clear enough.

"I know but I'm not telling you." For the first time, Yuki looked at her and his amber eyes held an unspoken threat should she speak again.

Mitsuko pouted and fell back a bit, glancing at Ryuu for help. "Keep pestering him," Ryuu muttered into her ear as he passed her. Mamoru walked by without a word, pausing only to send her a pitying look.

She suddenly brightened, struck by a sudden thought. "Tell me, Yuki-sensei!" Mitsuko pleaded, running in front of him, making it impossible for him to avoid her. "She told you to be careful, didn't she? She wants you to be careful because she _loves _you, right? That's it, isn't it? You two love each other!"

Yuki visibly flinched, looking very uncomfortable indeed. "Mitsuko, listen to me and listen well. When everyday is a struggle – a risky roll of the dice and never knowing what you might land on – there is no room for foolish nonsense." His voice was uncharacteristically stern.

"But you love her," Mitsuko said quietly, afraid of being heard but still feeling the need to say it.

"Nonsense," Yuki answered, a vein visibly throbbing in his forehead. "You know as well as I that shinobi do not have time for love, and not, especially not, on the battlefield."

Mitsuko gaped and stopped walking, allowing Yuki to speed up and increase the distance between the two of them. Ryuu halted beside her. "He didn't tell you, did he?" he asked, already knowing the answer from the look on her face.

"No…" Mitsuko stuck out her tongue at her previous mentor's back. "If he'd just admit that he likes Cho they he wouldn't be so grumpy."

"Maybe," Ryuu answered pensively, sending Mamoru an inquiring look; he had been glancing at Mitsuko the whole time.

Mamoru sighed and approached Mitsuko, Ryuu falling back to give them space. Mitsuko looked at him for a second before turning away, implying that she didn't want to talk to him. But he spoke anyway. "Do you really think that love will solve everything, Mitsuko?"

She peered at him, surprised that he had talked. "…Yes, of course…doesn't everyone?"

"No." He blinked.

"God, you're so annoying." Mitsuko narrowed her eyes in distaste. "I don't even know why I'm on this mission with you."

Mamoru didn't respond to the insult. "So what happens if love turns into a tragedy?"

Mitsuko bit her lip and looked up into his gray eyes. Suddenly, she lodged her foot onto a stone and stumbled, feeling Mamoru cling to her upper arm

"No answer?" he prompted.

She gazed at Mamoru's hand on her arm. "Not yet…"

* * *

Neji opened the door to the Holding Cell the next day, surprised that Tenten hadn't launched herself at him yet. "Looks like someone's mellowed out," he called, expecting a sharp response but receiving none.

He pushed the door wider and dim light fell on a dark shape slumped against the wall. Already knowing who it was, he set the tray down and walked over, squatting beside Tenten's unmoving figure.

Her head hung forward, unruly hair falling in tangles over her face and shielding it from view. Legs splayed in grotesque angles and an arm twisted horribly behind her back, she had either suffered a terrible accident or was terrifyingly flexible.

"Hey, stop pretending," Neji ordered sternly, fighting to keep the worry hidden. "There's nothing wrong with you! Now get up!" His voice cracked at the last word.

Slowly, haltingly, like waking from a long slumber only to find your limbs stiff, Tenten raised her head and looked at him. He flinched at the sight of blood. "Did you know…I was thinking of…taking a life?" she finally whispered, her eyelids fluttering like a butterfly that's lost a wing. Her voice was so quiet Neji had to lean in further to hear.

Neji's eyebrows furrowed, thoughts of suicide prevention whirling around in his head. "You're not serious."

She made a noise that sounded like a weak laugh. "Just try me."

There was a split second where everything was playing in slow motion for Neji. From behind her back, Tenten whipped out a sharpened, deadly wooden stick and aimed it at Neji's shoulder. There was no dodging it; he simply didn't have enough time. All he could do was close his eyes and wait.

As the wood splintered into his skin, Neji had enough time to scold himself for not noticing a bed post was missing before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Shielding her eyes, Tenten coughed and spluttered, muttering dangerous words under her breath. "Damn, a Shadow Clone!"

Through the smoke came a hand that wrenched her right hand painfully, forcing her onto her knees. Another hand snaked its way to her throat, teasingly flicking the pointed edge of the kunai against the delicate skin on her neck.

For a moment, she thought how warm his hands were, even if they were hurting her. Then her eyes hardened considerably as she reminded herself that he was most definitely the enemy.

"How many times do we have to go through this before you realize that it's no use to attack me as soon as I enter the Cell?" Neji asked mockingly.

She didn't answer, instead panting heavily and jerking her body as far away as she could go. He tugged her arm as a warning and that resulted in pulling her closer. Subconsciously, she didn't mind.

Neji glanced at the stick on the ground, lying forgotten. "I should have known not to put a potential weapon in here."

"Then do you seek to have this room empty?" Tenten gave a mirthless laugh. "There's a reason why they call me the Weapon's Mistress."

"I was not aware."

"Then you're neither bright nor precautionary," she spat out scathingly.

Neji smirked. "I made a Shadow Clone, didn't I?" She didn't respond. "Will you behave now?"

"I loathe being treated like a dog." Her voice was full of venom.

Frowning, he tightened the grip on her arm, causing her to flinch but not quite cry out in pain. "And I loathe being trifled with. Now, are you or are you not going to behave?"

Tenten was afraid that he'd hear her beating heart. "Fine! Fine!" she said, though her voice was full of defiance and louder than needed. "Now get your filthy hands off of me!" Once he let go after hesitating slightly, she could breathe peacefully, knowing that her heart would slow down once his touch was removed.

"Good…"

Neji stood and studied her for a moment. He then jerked his head towards the tray of food and left a lingering look before closing the door behind him.

* * *

"We'll rest here for the night," Yuki announced after five hours of leaping from tree to tree. He rested above a broad branch. "Mamoru and Mitsuko will take first watch. Wake me up in a few hours." With that, he leaned against the trunk and pulled his forehead protector to cover his eyes.

Ryuu glanced worriedly at Mamoru and Mitsuko, afraid that they would refuse to work together, but all three knew that no one defied a leader's orders. Sighing, Ryuu rolled out his sleeping bag a few feet away from the other two, as if to give them privacy, and settled in. "Good night," he called before turning the other way.

Mamoru sat cross-legged on the branch, his back stiff and eyes focused on a faraway leaf. After awkwardly standing beside him for a few moments, Mitsuko reluctantly lowered herself next to him, about a foot away, letting her legs dangle off the round edge of the bough.

"So," Mitsuko began uncomfortably, "do you think Tenten-san's alright?"

He didn't answer right away and when he did, it was halfheartedly. "She should be. She knows how to take care of herself."

"What if some Konoha citizens are treating her inconsiderately?" Mitsuko wondered. "They can't be too fond of her."

"I doubt she cares about their opinions," Mamoru deadpanned. "But I'm sure there are some decent shinobi," he added, not quite understanding why he felt compelled to reassure her.

Mitsuko's eyes sparkled. "Do you think one of them likes her? And maybe the feeling's mutual!"

Mamoru's face hardened with skepticism. "If that were the case, she'd be committing first degree treason and doesn't even deserve to be rescued."

"How can you say that?" she hissed, angered at the sudden change in perspective. "After all she's done for you and the Hidden Light, how can you even suggest that she doesn't deserve to be rescued?"

"She'd be an unreliable ruler," Mamoru stated confidently, his gray eyes projecting liable amounts of self-assurance. "And I would have no intention of following her commands if she was."

"Whose side are you on?" Mitsuko snarled, infuriated. "Do you wish for Tenten-san to be left to rot in Konoha? Is that what you want? To uproot everything we've striven for just because you're a little cynical of her capabilities? Despicable!"

Ryuu's head popped up in the growing darkness, his hair tussled. "Can a growing Chuunin get some sleep?"

"Sorry," Mamoru muttered most insincerely. Mitsuko watched him intently but he didn't answer her demands.

The minutes dragged on as Ryuu's head slackened and lolled, signaling that he had dozed off once more. Mitsuko and Mamoru both felt the oppressive stony silence that had settled among them like a thick veil. He refused to look at her but she found herself looking at him expectantly, obviously anticipating his answer.

It never came, of course. Mamoru's disloyalty was a one in a million attitude; many of the villagers trusted Tenten with their lives and would willingly march into battle for her. Her actions had already proved that she was fully worthy of such widespread respect and dedication.

The Kaede Clan was one of the most loyal Clans, offering guidance and counseling to Tenten when she requested it. But the Kaede elders were beginning to secretly question Tenten's competence in hushed whispers among themselves. It was known that many a youth were destroyed by their own ambition and lust for power, often doing more bad than good.

_Was it wise giving such an influential role to one as young as her? Would the authority go to her head? She isn't experienced enough to rule during wartime but will she relinquish the role? _

But the elders never let their thoughts be known to the public. The Clan would be dishonored for thinking such treacherous thoughts and would lose their hard-earned respect.

Mamoru's grandfather was one of the skeptics and as Mamoru was very close to him, the doubts had rubbed off onto him. During his childhood, his grandfather often spent countless hours with him, teaching him Chlorokinesis and helping him achieve top marks in school, while his father was busy attending to Clan Head duties. Mamoru wasn't an antagonists or a traitor; he was simply raised that way. It was all he knew and he couldn't help but make it known.

At last, Mitsuko felt as if she were suffocating under the silence and spoke up once again. "Mamoru," she started quietly, unsure of herself, "if you really do not believe in Tenten-san's aptitudes, why are you even on this mission? Surely your less-than-enthusiastic attitude will only hinder us. Perhaps you'd rather leave and return to Konoha."

He took a deep breath. "I couldn't, not without disgracing my clan," Mamoru answered at once, still not looking at his fellow Chuunin. "Though I may not think Tenten is a good leader, I cannot deny that she is a respectable kunoichi, just as I cannot deny that the sky is blue and the leaves are green. Maybe the skies transform to a hazy orange at sunset the leaves turn red in the fall but they always revert back to the colors they were meant to be."

He sighed and Mitsuko waited patiently. "Tenten-sama may waver now between her loyalties but she'll always come back to Akarui. She's a deadly shinobi we cannot afford to lose, even if her leadership skills aren't first-rate. And because of that, I'm on this mission."

"I see," Mitsuko whispered, gladdened by his satisfactory response. She turned away, her face serene once more, her eyes turned to the celestial object other villagers called the 'Moon'.

Mamoru gazed at her for a moment – he noticed that her light brown curls rippled like streams of silky ribbons in the gentle nighttime breezes – before abruptly turning his head, running a hand through his dark green hair.

_She's also your mentor. I can see that you look up to her…and care about her wellbeing deeply. That should be reason enough._

But he'd never admit that out loud.

* * *

_Neji…_

Tenten knew she hated his character with a passion she couldn't explain. He was arrogant and smug, able to annoy her very easily. His facial features gave nothing away, making him hard to understand, making it hard to understand what was churning through his mind. He acted very casually around her, as if he wasn't aware that she was a Kage.

And another thing.

He made her weak.

Before, she would've easily beaten his sorry ass – she had taken on five Konoha ANBU at once – but now, she would attack and he would restrain her almost lazily. She was weak, so weak, to be beaten by such a man.

And she was weak, also, for feeling the way she did whenever he was around. Tenten could feel the blush blooming across her cheeks whenever she entered, the fast paced beating of her heart when he talked to her, and the butterflies that performed an intricate air-show in her stomach whenever he touched her.

She was weak to feel that way about any man and, as much as she hated his superiority, she knew she didn't really hate _him. _But she also knew that she _had_ to hate him. Neji was a Konoha shinobi and that should have been a turn-off enough. Tenten hated Konoha for their actions but why did she feel herself drawn so strongly towards the Hyuga? And even if he did return her feelings, he'd probably exiled or executed for treason. Tenten couldn't let that happen.

"This place is bad for me," Tenten murmured to herself, turning onto her side to stare at the locked door. "Konoha is…brainwashing me somehow. It's befuddling my mind." Her eyes darted around deliriously, as if afraid of an imperceptible attacker.

"What if," she began hurriedly, sitting up straight suddenly, "this is all a genjutsu? What if the past few days didn't occur at all? Then, they'd know I like…but wait. If nothing happened at all, then that must mean my feelings are nonexistent." Tenten held her head. "I'm going crazy. I've got to get out of here."

Gradually, she pushed herself off of the cot and headed towards the door, preparing a Jutsu, the chakra crackling in her right palm. _I…I can't do this_, she thought helplessly. _I'm too weak. I'll end up killing myself. This Jutsu requires prime mental and physical strength as well as precise concentration and I'm in no position to boast about good health._

She clenched her fist. _But I _have_ to try something. I'll go crazy here; I'm already on the brink of insanity. I'll start simple; the hinges on the outside of the door should be alright. And besides,_ she reassured herself, _if I cut off the chakra flow from the rest of my body, I won't kill myself. Just think, Ten; you'll be free._

Determined, Tenten placed two fingers on the bottom door hinge, cringing at the grimy rust that had discolored the surface. "_Bunshi Nenshou,_" she whispered, feeling her lower right arm grow hot, channeling the heat into the hinge.

For a half second, Tenten's mind wavered as she told herself that after she escaped, she would never see Neji again, and if she did, they'd end up killing one another on the battlefield.

That was enough, however, for her concentration to falter and devastation to happen. The metal hinge suddenly grew alarmingly cold and her arm burned from within, an internal hellhole eating away at her slowly burning flesh. She could only watch as her hand morphed into a living piece of red-hot coal, glowing a sickeningly red color, signaling a combustion slowly swirling around inside her arm. Her eyes widened as her skin split and a vile combination of hot steamy vapor and angry red blood gushed out of her palm, trickling down to the floor like a thin scarlet snake.

"Damn," she cursed, her voice unnaturally calm for one experiencing such trauma.

And then she felt thoroughly fatigued, as if she had run a hundred times around the globe. Her head pounded and her limbs felt like leaden weights as she dragged herself to her cot. "I'm exhausted," she whispered to no one besides herself. "I have no more energy left, let alone chakra, to use a healing Jutsu."

She flickered back and forth between consciousness and sleep, thinking all the while: _If my injuries don't kill me, this exhaustion will. Either way, I'll still be free, which is what I always wanted in the end._

_

* * *

_

**a/n:** Ok, this author's note will be relatively shorter than its predeccessors because of the twelve hours jetlag - I'm supposed to be waking up now if I was going by the time in China.

Alright, so we seem some Yuki and Cho, although it's not disclosed what she told him but it'll be revealed later.

Mamoru and Mitsuko...definite on and off.

And Tenten's Jutsu and injury? It'll be explained in the next chapter although I will tell you that _Bunshi Nenshou_ means Molecular Combustion. The next chapter will delve a little deeper.

As for plot hints? I hope you all paid very close attention to the conversations in this chapter. ;)

kisses,  
Iris:D


	13. Take A Risk

**a/n: **An update? Can it really be? Yes, folks, I'm alive and back. Miss me? :) Anyway, some personal stuff came up that prevented me from writing.

Now, I know the suspense was killing you - what happened to Tenten's arm? - but rest assured, all will be explained in this chapter.

Without further ado, read on. :)

**disclaimer: **Neji, Tenten, and other character (except for OCs) (c) Masashi Kishimoto.

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

**THE BROKEN PIECES**  
Chapter 13  
_~take a risk~_

_"I'm nothing to her."_

* * *

Neji pushed open the door and groaned inwardly when he saw Tenten limp on her bed once again. Slamming the tray onto the ground, he strode over and proceeded to shake her left shoulder. "Come on, get up!" he ordered, his voice firm. "You're so naïve; I won't fall for the same trick twice, you know."

She remained still and as far as Neji could see, she wasn't concealing any weapons. He stepped back and crossed his arms. "Really, I think you're overdoing it. Just get up; you're fine."

He reached out one last time to give her shoulder a nudge, perhaps a bit harder than he intended – from worry, maybe? – and she rolled onto her back, uncovering her right arm.

The blood was gushing out of a large gash that ran from the middle of the palm and up to her elbow. A red river oozed onto the cot and dripped onto the floor, giving off that foul metallic scent of death.

Tenten's eyes had dulled to a point near lifelessness and her face was deathly pale. Neji hesitated for a moment – his eyes widening considerably – before reaching down and scooping her up. He ignored the dampness that soaked through his shirt and stained it scarlet and sped up the stairs.

Outside, many villagers sent him questioning looks – the Hyuuga prodigy carrying a bleeding girl through the streets? It was sure to raise many eyebrows. Neji, however, shrugged off all nosy inquiries with a glare and stepped into the Hospital, where he was greeted by Shizune.

"Is that…?" Shizune stopped at the sight of so much blood.

"The Taiyookage," Neji finished for her, "needs medical treatment."

"Kami, she's losing blood terribly fast." Shizune grabbed the nearest nurse, startling her out of her skin, and ordered her to alert the ER staff and bring a gurney. In seemingly no time at all, Tenten was being rushed out of his sight and Neji wasn't sure if he would see her again.

Suddenly, Sakura appeared at his side and offered him clean clothes. "You might want them," she prompted, shoving them once more into his hands. "You're drenched in blood."

Looking around, Neji realized that he was attracting many a strange look and allowed Sakura to usher him into a vacant room. She waited while he changed behind a folding screen and eyed him critically when he stepped out.

"Care to explain what happened?" She raised an eyebrow.

After deeming that his normal glare was ineffective when directed at his teammate, Neji sighed and shook his head once. "I wish. About her…condition, I have no idea."

Sakura bit her lip. "You two didn't…have a fight, did you?"

Neji gaped at the kunoichi in disbelief. "Do you honestly believe I would hurt her that badly?"

"No, of course not, never mind." She grinned to herself. "I know you'd never put her in such dire danger."

"It's not what you think it is," he pointed out at once. "I'm allowed respect for a great leader, aren't I?"

"You are but soon it becomes a matter of when that respect morphs into something more." Sakura was silent as she watched Neji's stoic expression become more guarded and wary.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Neji answered firmly, quite obviously lying.

Sakura rolled her eyes as her pager bleeped. She glanced at it and then directed her firm look onto her captain. "You're lucky I'm being paged. Even if you are my captain, you can't hide the truth from me for long."

With that, she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room.

Neji waited until the door swung shut to collapse into one of the chairs. He sat there, motionless, for hours on end, until someone had the good sense to check up on him.

It was Shikamaru who walked through the door, looking as if nothing would make him happier than leaving the ANBU captain to succumb to his misery. However, the genius remembered how Ino had stopped him on his way home to tell him that Sakura told Sasuke to tell Kiba to tell Hinata to tell her to tell him that he should check up on Neji.

Though confused as to why he was chosen as the consoler, Shikamaru followed Ino's instructions diligently so as not to ignite her short temper. As he was walking away, he was sure that she couldn't hear him mutter 'troublesome' but was corrected instantly when her fist connected with his shoulder.

Now, rubbing his shoulder tenderly, Shikamaru took one look at the brooding Hyuuga and sighed not quite to himself. "How long have you been in here, Hyuuga?"

"Has the sun set?" Neji didn't bother looking up.

"Yeah, about two hours ago…" Shikamaru paused, waiting for him to reply, but when he didn't, he rambled on. "Ino told me to check up on you."

"Hn."

Shikamaru frowned but restrained himself from uttering his customary remark. "Thinking of leaving any time soon?"

"Has the Taiyookage's condition improved?"

"How should I know?" Shikamaru leaned against the wall and studied Neji for a while. "You know, I haven't seen you this depressed since your father-"

"Shut up."

He blinked a few times at Neji and slowly nodded his head once. "I see what your problem is."

"Do you really?" Neji spat out sarcastically.

"You're worried about Tenten-sama, aren't you?" Taking Neji's silence as confirmation, he continued. "Don't bother denying it; it's pretty damn clear. You know, you're going to instigate some rumors if you keep acting like this. The villagers are going to assume to two have something going on."

"That's bullshit."

Neji stood up very quickly, surprising Shikamaru.

"Nara, you wouldn't be foolish enough to believe such nonsense, would you?"

"Actually, judging from the way you're acting know, yes, I would believe that you and Tenten-sama have something more than meets the eye." Shikamaru moved towards the door, in case a quick escape was at hand. "If you ever need a confidant…" He paused, one hand on the doorknob, "don't come to me. It would be too troublesome. Go to Ino or Sakura."

Neji found himself following Shikamaru outside, only to collide with Sakura. At once, he felt his heart race as he struggled to keep his composure. "The Taiyookage…Tenten-sama…how is she?"

Sakura lifted the corner of her mouth into a smug smile. "Worried?"

"It would be a pity to lose such a venerable kunoichi," Neji answered smoothly.

Placing one hand on her hip, Sakura drew together her eyebrows. "Tenten-sama very nearly killed herself. _Bunshi Nenshou_; have you heard of it?"

"Chlorokinesis," Neji muttered at once.

"I…we've never seen such a destructive and dangerous Jutsu before," Sakura told him, shaking her head incredulously. "Amazing levels of chakra control and concentration, horrific amounts of power, catastrophic results; it's almost godlike."

"I don't understand."

"_Bunshi Nenshou_, Molecular Combustion, is a Jutsu that manipulates the Sun's chakra to speed up and heat molecules in an object until they lose molecular cohesion, effectively causing the object to disintegrate or explode. Theoretically – and I'm just hypothesizing – the user must have either infused chakra into their target or have some sort of physical contact."

Here, Sakura reached out her hand and gently placed it on Neji's elbow. "I would imagine that Tenten-sama, being a clever and cautionary kunoichi, was able to cut off her upper arm's chakra flow from the rest of her body. In doing so, when her concentration somehow wavered, it was only her arm that received the damage."

"If she hadn't done so, if she hadn't cut off her chakra flow, what would have happened?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"She would have died." Sakura gazed at him solemnly. "However, that is not the case so there's no point in fretting over 'what-if's."

"Will she recover?"

Sakura bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I can't be certain. The wounds are on such a painstakingly internal level that I'm afraid of using any strong Jutsus, lest I disrupt her bodily functions. We did the best we could; trying to extract the tainted chakra, replenishing her blood supply, and stitching her wounds. However, it's a matter of whether her body is strong enough to heal itself.

"But I assume she will," Sakura added upon seeing the look on Neji's face.

"She must have wanted to leave an awful lot to take such a perilous risk," he mused.

_She must have wanted to leave me an awful lot as well._

Neji tried not to let his disappointment show.

_I must mean nothing to her._

Then, he scolded himself. Tenten was the enemy, the enemy that was set on destroying his village. Of course he would mean nothing to her. It was ridiculously idiotic to assume otherwise. In fact, he ought to perceive her as the enemy, instead of yielding to starry-eyed emotions and magical fantasies.

"I need to see her," Neji blurted out.

Again with that smug smile. "Very well."

Outside of Tenten's room, Sakura paused, giving Neji a stern look. "Be gentle with her, Hyuuga. Even if she is set on killing us all, she is still a sick patient and deserves some peace and quiet for the time being. Let her stock up on it because there sure won't be a lot of that where she's headed."

Nodding, Neji pushed past his teammate and let himself into Tenten's room. She was asleep, her breathing light and even. The windows were open, allowing the moonbeams to fall softly on her face, illuminating it, making it appear almost angelic.

The bandages that bound her upper right arm almost glowed and Neji's gaze was drawn to it immediately. He could detect a faint shade of pink wriggling its way through the layers of cloth but he was relieved to see the lack of tainted chakra.

He pulled over a chair and placed it by her bedside, settling in it and allowing his eyes to roam. Tenten was wearing a white shirt that had a large diagonal slash that ran from the cuff of her right sleeve to her collarbone. Her hair was redone into two buns, probably by Sakura or one of the younger nurses.

How many hours he sat there, Neji didn't know. But when at last, Tenten's eyelids fluttered open, he knew it was worth it all.

Her eyes registered shock upon seeing him there but they softened gradually. "Guess what?" she whispered weakly.

"I'm not going to play guessing games with you, Taiyookage-sama," he said quietly.

She smirked in amusement. "You saved my life."

"As if I didn't already know."

"I simply felt the need to remind you."

"Hn." Try as he might, he couldn't look away.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked suddenly, sitting up in her bed, her large eyes boring hole into him. "I'm the enemy, aren't I? Wouldn't it be easier to simply let nature run its course and leave me to bleed to death?"

Neji pursed his lips, thinking of an answer that wouldn't give too much away. "If I did, we would have lost our bargaining tool. Death cannot be undone. So now, we are able to instigate when, where, and how we want it."

"You're not going to kill me," Tenten contradicted instantly, flashing a confident smile.

"Don't tell anyone, but I agree." His eyes darted to the door. "You're not ready for death and I doubt Konoha would want to be the one to condemn you."

"You're right. There are so many things I haven't experienced yet. If you had killed me, my life would have ended before it began." She gave a little smile. "Sometimes, sometimes, I wish I wasn't Taiyookage. Sometimes, I wish I was simply a normal civilian, not a kunoichi, not having to worry about death and honor and loyalty. I want to be normal, or as normal as I can get."

Neji was silent, enthralled.

"I can bet being a prodigy is just as tiring, having to try your hardest to fill the shoes that are placed in front of you. But they keep growing bigger; there's no end! Soon, you find yourself not meeting everyone's expectations and you let them down. That's the worst feeling." Tenten shook her head slowly.

"But what you do? You have to strive to be better because people idolize you; they look up to you. You can't succumb to human weaknesses because others will copy you because they respect you. You can't make a mistake, break a promise, refuse to help, tear families apart, fall in-"

She stopped suddenly and turned her pensive look into a glare she directed solely at Neji. "I shouldn't be telling you these things. And you shouldn't be listening."

"Forgive me, but it was implied that I should pay attention." He did not blink, did not want to break the visual connection he and Tenten had.

Flustering, she fell back onto her bed and closed her eyes. "You need to leave at once."

Slightly hurt at the sudden dismissal, Neji could only nod once and head towards the door. However, he stopped with his hand on the door knob.

"If it's not too much trouble, though," Tenten called out to him softly, "visit me again tomorrow. I, I wouldn't want your valiant deed to be wasted if you could not gloat over your success," she added quickly, hoping that the darkness would conceal her blush.

However, Neji, who was graced with the Byakugan, saw the rose-colored hue that stained her cheeks and smirked at the door.

"Hai, Taiyookage-sama."

Tenten watched the door close almost regretfully.

_I shouldn't have made him go. I so feel so…alone now_.

Instantly, a wave of emotion crashed over her, suffocating her. It was terrible treasonous to want to be in the enemy's presence for longer than necessary. It was even worse to enjoy his company. Guilt; shame; loyalty; trust; it all disappeared when he was around.

"Maybe I should've died," she whispered to herself, "so I don't bring such disgrace to my village."

But she knew she couldn't. No matter how much hatred she felt towards Konoha, the Hyuuga was the only thing keeping her from letting all hell break loose. As much as she despised admitting it, even to herself, her life would never be the same again, not after meeting Neji.

It was terrible corny, cliché, to think of it like that but there was no other way to put it.

But no matter much she yearned for it, for him, she was well aware of how it could never be. How they could never love one another; how they could never shout it to the world; how they could never be together.

In a momentary fit of rage, Tenten seized the nearest thing – an empty china vase – and hurtled it at the opposite wall. The large crash was welcoming to her, as well as the sound of rushing footsteps.

Sakura, the pink-haired kunoichi, entered her room, apprehensive, and saw Tenten lying in her bed serenely, her eyes focused on the broken shards on the floor. "Is…is everything ok?"

"Yes. Just thinking." Tenten smiled, eerily calm.

"I heard a crash. Did you throw the vase?" Sakura prompted, feeling as if she were talking to a toddler.

"Yes. I was just letting off some steam."

Sakura placed a hand on her hip. "Did you and Neji…fight? Disagree about something?"

"No, I think something was very, very clear."

_What is it?_

But Sakura couldn't ask that aloud. No, this was private business, a secret that was only meant for two people. Nodding, she backed out of the room, telling the Taiyookage that she'd send someone down to clean it up.

Tenten did not respond, instead focusing her eyes on the broken pieces on the floor. Hoping that someone would piece it back together. But she knew that even if someone would care enough and take the time to put the vase back together, it would never be the same.

The cracks would never completely vanish, the scars would never heal. You would be faced with a choice: try and hide the imperfections or flaunt it to the world. Tenten was not sure which one she would choose.

_But I'm clear about one thing_. She smiled wryly to herself, allowing herself to drift asleep. _Me and Neji, we can only ever be friends_.

* * *

I know we didn't see much of our OCs but I felt that this was an appropriate place to end the chapter. The next will one will sure to be longer.

Ouch. Now that I think about it, Tenten is really suffering a lot - not just mentally and physically, but emotionally as well. Imagine the guilt, the shame, she must feel when she thinks of Neji as something more of a friend. It's going to be tough for her, I can tell (probably because I'm the author, haha).

Anyway, Tenten's condition is explained a little more fully, as well as the Jutsu. If you still don't understand something, don't hesitate to drop me a review. :)

PLEASE REVIEW. :) If you do, I'll love you forever.

kisses,  
Iris:D


	14. Dominance

**a/n:** Yayy, Chapter 14 has been posted! It's a shorter-than-usual chapter mostly because of my laziness (I was preparing for the Chinese SAT Subject Test, which I just took this morning.).

Well, we see more relationships beginning to form, to the flashbacks of beginnings and whatnot. :)

Enjoy~

**disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto (only my OCs, OPs, and OJs - which were, admittedly, inspired by Masashi Kishimoto's works)

kisses,  
Iris:D

* * *

**THE BROKEN PIECES**  
**CHAPTER 14**  
~dominance~

_"You're lucky Hyuuga was there."_

* * *

Mitsuko felt herself beginning to nod off and only sheer habit kept her feet moving. The cool night air that whipped her brown curls around her face did nothing to make her more awake. Only when she heard her sensei's voice did the sleep retreat ever so slightly.

"We'll reach Konoha by tomorrow afternoon," Yuki called over his shoulder, noticing how much Michiko lagged behind. Giving the signal to stop – a snap of the fingers and pointing a finger to the ground – he landed on the forest floor and waited for his team to gather around him before speaking.

"And just as a warning, precaution, we must hold our tongues-" Yuki glanced warningly at Mitsuko. "-not be too lenient-" Ryuu shuffled in his spot. "-and not act like arrogant jackasses." Mamoru grinned, unabashed. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai!"

"And another word of wisdom, I seriously doubt that Konoha will agree to our terms, but, nonetheless, we must have _some_ hope, even if it's less than a sliver." Yuki looked pointedly at Mamoru. "Perhaps if we believe, we will succeed."

Ignoring Mamoru's scoff, Yuki pulled out his sleeping bag and his teammates did the same. They were quiet as their sleeping packs were unrolled and a small fire was quickly lighted.

Mitsuko, however, was aware of how the lights began to dim around them and how the sun began to dip below the horizon. She drew a sharp intake of breath and everyone glanced at her expectantly. "It's setting. Oh, Kami, it's really setting!"

"A sunset," Ryuu said helpfully.

Nodding, Mitsuko cocked her head as she watched the sky slowly blended into hues of orange and red and twinkling stars appeared. "It's magical," she breathed, mostly talking to herself (but though she did not notice it, Mamoru went oddly still, as if listening to her closely).

When night had fallen completely and Mamoru and Ryuu had already climbed into their sleeping packs, Mitsuko noticed how Yuki was still awake, gazing up at the moon, looking almost as if he were reminiscing. Holding her breath, she crawled over to her former sensei and sat beside him.

He looked at her and then turned his head. After remembering how her sensei never took the initiative, Mitsuko spoke first. "What are you thinking about, Yuki-san?"

"I haven't seen the moon in a while," he muttered, not really answering her question.

"When have you seen it before?" Mitsuko implored eagerly.

"It doesn't concern you," was his tart response.

Undaunted, she changed topics. "Did you really mean it when you said that love was nothing?"

There was something odd about the look in his amber eyes. "I never said it was nothing. I said shinobi have no time for it."

"That's an awfully sad thing to think," Mitsuko commented quietly. "Very depressing…does that mean, if you had the time, that you would pursue Cho?"

Yuki closed his eyes and seemed to die a little inside. "You're a crazy kid, Hana."

"What did she say?" she asked in a whisper, afraid that he would be cross with her. "Please tell me."

_It wasn't what I expected._ He sighed to himself. _I expected it to be…more heartfelt somehow._

* * *

_The moon was a milky white, full and suspended over the bloody battlefield. It poked through the branches to dimly illuminate the ground below._

_Her tibia was the exact same color as the moon, although it was positively drenched in blood. It had been roughly shoved through her skin when she had fallen from a tree branch at least five stories up and landed in the most impossibly horrifying position._

_Her black eyes glazed over with pain as she attempted to untwist her leg out from underneath her. However, the blood surged out even more heavily and she stopped, afraid of losing too much blood. She began attempting to shove the bone back into her flesh as she ignored the rest of the warring shinobi around her._

_He had seen it. He had seen her fatal injury. Even now, in the midst of battle – as he stabbed a Konoha shinobi through the heart – he found time to admire how calm she was. But as her eyes fluttered and she slumped to one side, her hands dropping to the floor, his heart skipped a beat and he performed a killing Jutsu before running over to her._

_She was pale and her blood stained the dirt. Her bone seemed to glow under the moonlight, a ghastly paranormal sight._

_"Hey," he whispered, shaking her shoulder gently. _

_"I fell out," she answered shakily, looking at him through half-lidded eyes. Her hands fumbled with her shirt and she removed it to reveal three kunai that had deeply embedded themselves into her chest._

_"Damn it."_

_He ran a tentative hand over the wounds and quickly decided that he needed to find a Medical Nin. Holding her hand tightly, he scanned the moonlit field for any allies that could come to their help. _

_He saw none._

_"Damn it."_

_His heart began to pound and he could hear it resonate in his ears. What if they couldn't find help in time? Would she die? No, he couldn't – wouldn't – let her die. Because…because…_

_"You're not going to die," he said suddenly, looking down at her firmly._

_She smiled wryly. "We'll see."_

_"Damn it."_

_And then, emerging from behind a row of enemy shinobi so covered in shuriken and kunai and needles that they resembled porcupines, the Taiyookage stepped beside the two, twirling a pair of sharp, silver katana._

_"Where is Mika?" he gasped._

_Tenten panned the scene and jumped up to behead an oncoming adversary before answering. "Other side of the field," she replied, bending low to trip a running attacker._

_"Damn it."_

_"I'll fetch her," Tenten offered before he had time to answer, already taking off. "Protect her for now!"_

_She hurdled over a pile of motionless bodies and disappeared in the midst of struggling bodies._

_Soon, a horde of enemy shinobi gravitated towards and surrounded them, their Leaf Village forehead protectors gleaming in the moonlight. In one fluid movement, he left her body on the floor and stood up, drawing a handful of needles._

_His opponents tried not to smirk. What kind of damage would a few needles do?_

_But as he infused his chakra into them, they felt the slight pinches and began to worry as their minds began to fog. They stumbled around like inebriated men, colliding into one another until a mental voice commanded them to pick up their weapons._

Stab,_ the voice said. _Stab.

_They tried to resist, tried to disobey, but the voice was persuasive, smooth and buttery like a well-oiled joint that forced you to comply._

One quick stab…

_Only slightly confused, the shinobi raised their kunai and simultaneously plunged it into their gut, watching as their scarlet blood spewed forth instantly._

_He watched them drop one by one and wiped away the sweat droplets that streamed down his face._

_His heart lifted at the sight of Mika and Tenten running over._

_"We're winning," Tenten announced breathlessly, taking a step back to let Mika tend to the fallen kunoichi._

_"I'm glad," was his short response._

_She glanced at Mika with her new patient and sighed. "What happened?"_

_"She fell."_

_"And?"_

_"And I didn't catch her."_

* * *

"Tell me!" Mitsuko insisted.

Yuki's eyebrows twitched violently. "If I tell you, you'll have to take first shift."

"Of course!"

"It's not too exciting."

"Quit stalling, Yuki-san!"

He chewed on the inside of his bottom lip, hesitating, before speaking. "She told me to kick some Konoha ass."

Mitsuko's mouth widened into a perfect 'O'. "That's it? Why couldn't you tell me that?"

Yuki scowled and climbed into his sleeping bag. "Good night, Mitsuko."

"I know. You were disappointed, weren't you?"

He didn't respond.

* * *

Naruto glanced at Hinata, who was sitting in an armchair in the corner, chewing on her bottom lip as she made corrections to a report. He grinned to himself before glancing back at his paperwork, sighing heavily. She looked up and caught his eyes, smiling encouragingly.

The moment was interrupted when the door swung open, brutally slamming into the wall – both Naruto and Hinata winced – and Ino entered, looking very enthusiastic indeed.

"I think you know why you're here, am I right?" Naruto gave a short laugh.

"Why don't you tell me?" Ino suggested. "So I don't get excited about the wrong thing."

"I want you to read Tenten-sama's mind. Find her secrets," instructed Naruto.

Ever since her father, Inoichi, had retired two years ago, Ino had taken over his position as interrogator and mind reader, proving very successful during many interrogations performed on the few Akarui shinobi they had managed to capture in the last year. It did, however, prove to be a rather risky and dangerous job, especially when the Akarui captives decided they'd rather die than be mind-probed by a Konoha shinobi.

The interrogation room had been restored – although the crater in the floor was still there, sectioned off by ropes – but many villagers had taken to standing guard during the examinations, particularly her former teammate, Shikamaru.

But because the last year had brought forth no new captives – Akaruigakure had become more careful – she had been forced to return to mediocre (in her opinion) Hospital work and Shikamaru most grudgingly retreated to the Strategy Room.

This new assignment most obviously energized her.

"Finally," Ino shrieked with a dramatic wave of her arms. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me! Well? Do you want me to do it now?"

"Yes, especially in her weakened state; she will be less able to resist," added Naruto.

Hinata looked at the pair of blondes over her papers. "And to think Neji thought you were going soft…"

"Not on the Taiyookage," he answered. "Never the Taiyookage – to underestimate her would spell certain death."

"Where is she? I'd like to get started right away," she pointed out.

"She's in the Hospital, room…" Naruto paused, realizing that he did not know which room his 'nemesis' was housed in."

"Room 342," Hinata piped up helpfully. He threw her a grateful glance.

Ino nodded and bowed once quickly. "Alright, I'll send someone up with the results later. Do any of you know where Shikamaru is? I promised him I'd get him for my next interrogation."

"Probably in the Strategy Room with his father," Naruto proposed.

Satisfied with this answer, she headed for the door but paused and turned around, halfway out. "I don't if I've said this before, but from my Academy years to even when you were appointed, I never knew you'd be such a…responsible Hokage."

"If you've said it once, you've said it a thousand times," Naruto countered with a good-natured grin.

"_I_ always knew he'd be a wonderful Hokage," Hinata pointed out.

"Exactly! Thank you, Hinata-chan!" He plowed on, not noticing her blush. "Have some faith in me, Ino!"

Ino raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Well, you know what? I just got the notion that I was interrupting something before I came here, so why don't I leave you two alone?" She winked and raced out the door.

* * *

Tenten watched from her bed as an insolent fly buzzed around the room, constantly bumping into the glass window, undoubtedly perplexed by how its outside world seemed to be blocked off by an invisible barrier. Sighing, she hoisted herself out of bed and walked over to the window. It was difficult to open a window, especially when one arm was in a sling and the window hadn't been opened in years.

But once she had, she discovered that there was also a screen that prevented insects from entering.

And leaving.

Groaning in annoyance, Tenten snatched a scalpel out of a drawer and slashed the screen, presenting it to the fly with a wide sweep of her hand. But when her ears were greeted by silence and not the buzz of miniscule wings, she glanced at the windowsill.

The fly had died.

"Screw you," she muttered, dropping the scalpel onto the floor.

"Talking to yourself?"

Tenten whirled around and saw Neji leaning in the doorway, looking more amused than usual. Ignoring her pounding heart – she attributed it to hate – she stooped down to retrieve the metal instrument and place it gently on the windowsill beside the now-dead fly.

"I was trying to help a fly escape because I know what it's like to stand on one side and not be able to get to the other," Tenten explained, though not very clearly.

If he found her words puzzling, Neji did not question it. "Is it alright for you to be standing?"

"It's my arm that's hurt, not my leg," she pointed out, tapping her sling.

He nodded. "So, I guess I keep my promises, eh?"

She frowned and sat on her bed. "What do you mean?"

"You told me to come back again the next day, remember?" He smirked. "And here I am. I suppose I'm rather trustworthy after all, huh?"

"Stop flattering yourself," Tenten muttered condescendingly – although she turned around to hide her blush.

"Hn."

He walked around and seated himself in a chair beside her bed, position his head so that they stared into each other's eyes. For the longest time, they sat there, having a staring contest, and no words were spoke.

_I just want to look at her…_

"Ahem."

The two jumped apart and swiveled where they sat to see Sakura and Ino in the doorway.

"We need Tenten-san," Sakura announced, looking puzzled to see the two supposedly enemies sitting so intimately. "There are some tests we still need to run."

"Of course." Neji stood up right away.

Tenten, however, remained seat. "What for? I feel fine."

The scandalized look on Ino's face when she saw Neji and Tenten sitting together had evaporated and was replaced by a look of urgency that Tenten found strange. "There may be…internal damages that you cannot necessarily…consciously feel."

"Or you're denying it to fulfill your duty," Sakura added quietly, looking pointedly at Neji, who averted his lavender eyes.

"I'm fine," Tenten repeated. "I feel fine! I don't see why-"

"Just go. Arguing is useless," Neji added.

Falling silent, she shrugged indifferently and pushed past Sakura and Ino and scowled at the sight of Shikamaru in the hallway, guarding an empty gurney.

The other three followed her out and Sakura and Ino exchanged wary looks.

Ino cleared her throat. "We'll need you to…climb into the gurney."

"It's my fucking _arm_ that's injured, not my legs!" Tenten snapped, glancing back at Neji for support.

This time, though, he simply shook his head.

Muttering to herself, she settled into the gurney while Sakura and Ino gave Neji grateful looks.

"You two are lucky that Hyuuga was there to convince the Taiyookage," Shikamaru said in a stage-whisper as he rolled a sour-looking Tenten down the hall.

"Well, Neji always was the rather dominant one," Sakura commented with a grin.

* * *

**a/n: **Sighh, I'm not too pleased with how this chapter turned out. Too...choppy...too short...too jumping-around-ish. Ah well.

Not to mention Neji and Tenten didn't have much screentime but I feel that this is neccessary in order to develop the other characters more, or else it'll be a perfectly characterized couple on one side and a bunch of one-dimensional characters on the other. Haha, did that make sense?

So, we see some serious YukiCho, sprinklings of NaruHina, and a few hints of MitsuMamo and ShikaIno.

As for our favorite little OC (for me, anyway), Satoru will be making his appearance later, but for now, his role has been played out and but, fear not, he will return as the third angle of our love triangle. :) *ohhh!*

Please REVIEW, my wonderful readers!

kisses,  
Iris:D


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